as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
your hit-or-miss schedule for taking your medication is going to land you in the hospital again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hit-or-miss
Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
These setups are bizarre, provocative, and often hit-or-miss.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Buffets can be hit or miss, but some restaurants are still getting it right, and diners across the country have taken notice.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss
Adjective
And while its status as an Academy Awards bellwether has been hit-or-miss over the years — particularly given the tumult surrounding the show and its members — recognition there can help boost a film’s prospects.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
These setups are bizarre, provocative, and often hit-or-miss.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
Adverb
Awards shows can be hit or miss for food, honestly.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Buffets can be hit or miss, but some restaurants are still getting it right, and diners across the country have taken notice.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-or-miss
Adjective
-
The air rang with random alarms; the soft surfaces were mottled with mystery stains.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The sentence, arrived at via a sequence of random numbers thrown out by the group itself, begins the eighth paragraph of page 432 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
However, in most cases, the chemical groups that bind CO2 are randomly distributed, making performance unpredictable.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Earlier sunshine way to clouds and scattered rain as the first, in a series, of passing systems brings brief wet weather to Maryland.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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And in legislative committees and in debate on Wednesday, sponsors of the new requirement didn’t cite evidence of more than scattered cases in which non-citizens may have voted.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a show where the judging is often accused of being arbitrary, the makeover is considered the worst offender.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
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The shifting explanations, the defense argues, suggest the decision may have been arbitrary.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While Boston shot 5-for-20 in the period, Atlanta went 13-for-19, including the second made three of the night from the typically erratic Dyson Daniels.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Two weeks later, the erratic nature of the Wild’s play and the outcomes haven’t changed.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hit-or-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-or-miss. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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