1
as in pistol
a very energetic person
the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
And upon her return, Dana is a live wire.
—
Sam Reed, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Place is a live wire 6 minutes before kickoff.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
As the person drove to the site, UI received four phone calls from the city of New Haven Fire Dispatch reporting that a live wire was down, PURA wrote.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026
The new science is causing not just a technological sensation, but also a cultural one, twanging a live wire in the popular mind.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live wire
Sam Reed, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Place is a live wire 6 minutes before kickoff.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
As the person drove to the site, UI received four phone calls from the city of New Haven Fire Dispatch reporting that a live wire was down, PURA wrote.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026
The new science is causing not just a technological sensation, but also a cultural one, twanging a live wire in the popular mind.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live wire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for live wire
Noun
-
During raids in Czechia and Austria, police seized some weapons, such as knives, machetes, axes and gas pistols.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cole Tomas Allen, who authorities say rushed a banquet room at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night, had legally bought a 12-gauge shotgun at the Turner’s location in his hometown of Torrance, as well as a semiautomatic pistol at CAP Tactical Firearms in neighboring Lawndale.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The festival, which toured during the summers of 1997–99, was cofounded and headlined by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and showcased such powerhouse musicians as Queen Latifah, the Indigo Girls, Sinéad O’Connor, and Tracy Chapman.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
-
Turner bought World Championship Wrestling and created a powerhouse that challenged WWE in the TV ratings for months on end in the 1990s.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
His many credits include performances with the New York Philharmonic, pioneering minimalist composer Philip Glass, genre-blurring singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, drum dynamo Tyshawn Sorey and such past and present jazz sax powerhouses as Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath and Branford Marsalis.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Could a contender slotted to pick in the teens (or even early 20s) be interested in trading up for Notre Dame running back dynamo Jeremiyah Love?—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Live wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/live%20wire. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
