as in haphazard
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Recent Examples of hit-and-miss
Drew Allar, Penn State Allar has prototypical size, tantalizing arm strength and… well, hit-and-miss production.
—
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond was more hit-and-miss, and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden had little impact other than letting punts bounce for extra yards time after time.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
But overall, styling is hit-and-miss on this one in my humble opinion.
—New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
The hit-and-miss driverless experience comes despite Musk responding in September to a Robotaxi user’s social media lament about having a supervisor in the driver’s seat.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
So much of the immediate pleasure of the show came from how unforced and unstudied the young ensemble was in the beginning, but what felt like brilliant casting in the beginning became increasingly more hit-and-miss as the show progressed.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
Perhaps not coincidentally, Crowe has been on a long-running, hit-and-miss self-improvement program for at least two decades.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
They have been hit-and-miss with their high-quality opportunities, though, with their big-chance conversion rate of 33 per cent matching Manchester United’s.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond was more hit-and-miss, and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden had little impact other than letting punts bounce for extra yards time after time.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
But overall, styling is hit-and-miss on this one in my humble opinion.
—New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
The hit-and-miss driverless experience comes despite Musk responding in September to a Robotaxi user’s social media lament about having a supervisor in the driver’s seat.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
So much of the immediate pleasure of the show came from how unforced and unstudied the young ensemble was in the beginning, but what felt like brilliant casting in the beginning became increasingly more hit-and-miss as the show progressed.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
Perhaps not coincidentally, Crowe has been on a long-running, hit-and-miss self-improvement program for at least two decades.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
They have been hit-and-miss with their high-quality opportunities, though, with their big-chance conversion rate of 33 per cent matching Manchester United’s.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-and-miss
Adjective
-
Through orchestra, chamber music, and even haphazard improv with friends, music has acted as a bridge to understanding others and continuing to explore and learn with them.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The creation and adoption of the Balboa Park parking fees happened in just a few months and their haphazard implementation is ample evidence that not enough work was done.—
Venus Molina,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Deli scraps, roasted vegetables, that random wedge of cheese, a smear of whatever condiment is closest to empty.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In the piece, the Vicar of Christ is felled not by his oppressors but rather by a random cosmic event.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Steven Conrad’s particular brand of absurdity and plucky dark humor has been hit-or-miss for me, even as it has been boosted by the strength of Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The coverage of showers and storms looks hit-or-miss.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Long aimless drives opened up my small teenage world.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s goal is to distract you from rising gas prices, his aimless war, ICE abuses, and the Epstein files.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An awkward, desultory conversation ensues.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
There'd be people sitting outside smoking, having desultory conversations, playing games.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The European Union first sanctioned him in 2008, and imposed parallel sanctions in 2022 over the use of live ammunition, arbitrary detention of protesters and journalists, and the violent suppression of demonstrations.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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But at the meeting, there was an admission that that number was an arbitrary figure.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The grieving son of a 78-year-old innocent bystander shot in the Bronx said his father’s death and the recent stray bullet slay of a Brooklyn infant should be a wake-up call to the city.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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While sitting on a bench, enjoying the warm weather in his Mott Haven apartment building's courtyard, Spence was shot and killed by a stray bullet striking him in the stomach, his family said Friday.—
Jennifer Bisram,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hit-and-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-and-miss. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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