LIVE WIRE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

live wire

noun

Definition of live wire

as in pistol

a very energetic person the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in powerhouse

an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired that new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 live wire One of the brothers used a carbon-fibre pole while attempting to get the bird down and touched the live wires on the power line, killing him instantly. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026 The Olympia is now absorbing this collective energy like a live wire. — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026 In the band’s heyday, Anthony Kiedis, with his bare torso and long girlish copper-blond hair, looked like a ’70s teen idol who’d become a Warhol hustler – a street-flesh god like Joe Dallesandro, except that where Dallesandro was in a daze, Kiedis was a live wire. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026 And upon her return, Dana is a live wire. — Sam Reed, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for live wire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for live wire

Noun

But Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, upon return from this week’s NATO summit in Turkey, discovered a pistol and live ammunition in his possession, courtesy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

— Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
Johnson was arrested by members of the Hartford Police Department on April 21 on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a pistol without a permit and first-degree reckless endangerment.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2026

Definition of pistol

Noun

The matchup for the FIFA World Cup semifinal at AT&T Stadium is set, with powerhouses France and Spain playing for a chance to advance to the final.

— Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
Mona, the largest private museum in Australia, is executing the new museum with the aid of Asset World Corporation (AWC), a Thai real estate powerhouse.

— News Desk, Artforum, 10 July 2026

Definition of powerhouse

Noun

But there is good reason to believe this young sax dynamo will hold his own among these veteran players at Dizzy’s, a venue where Childs has led his one bands on several occasions.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Against Scotland, the left-footed dynamo will be desperate for his first chance to leave an imprint on this World Cup.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 24 June 2026

Definition of dynamo

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live up to

live wire

live wires

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Style

“Live wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/live%20wire. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of live wire

noun

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