HIT-AND-MISS Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

hit-and-miss

adjective

Definition of hit-and-miss

as in haphazard

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 See All Example Sentences for hit-and-miss

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-and-miss

Adjective

After that, Grace all but disappears from Crystal Lake, exposing the haphazard plotting of a show that refuses to commit.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Violent crime, once almost unknown on the island, is rising sharply—another sign of the state’s haphazard retreat.

— Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of haphazard

Adjective

The extra software gimmicks, however, remain a bit hit-or-miss.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
The problem is that those splash plays and big weeks usually happen on fantasy benches because Shaheed is far too hit-or-miss (or miss or miss) to be counted on as more than a desperation play.

— Gary Davenport, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of hit-or-miss

Adjective

By the time Blue Bloods wrapped after 293 episodes, Estes’ Jamie had progressed from aimless Harvard graduate, to NYPD rookie, to one of the force’s most venerable sergeants.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026
The constraint of the task encourages a deeper looking, and gives us, part of a society suspicious of aimless activity, an excuse to mess around and explore a strange world.

— Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of aimless

Adjective

Sixty or so people formed a desultory circle in front of the birds or slumped on bleachers hung with a banner that read the world is watching.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Can anything more than the most desultory gesture at a novel emerge while these questions go unanswered?

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of desultory

Adjective

Federal prosecutors accuse Maduro and Flores of directing a campaign of political repression involving brutal interrogations, arbitrary detentions and the mistreatment of prisoners.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
On October 9, 2026, a federal district court ruled that the policy exceeds the Justice Department's authority, is arbitrary and capricious, and violates federal law.

— Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

Laika was a 3-year-old stray husky-spitz mix from the streets of Moscow, and she was recruited by the Soviet space program for her small size and calm temperament.

— Hanneke Weitering, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026
In Kansas, Wichita Police said an after-party early Saturday resulted in four people shot, including one 36-year-old man hit in the face by a stray bullet while looking outside of his window, CNN affiliate KAKE reported.

— Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of stray

Browse Nearby Words

hit

hit-and-miss

hit-and-run

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hit-and-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-and-miss. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hit-and-miss

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abandon

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes