MAYHEM Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

mayhem

noun

Definition of mayhem

as in violence

actions that hurt people and destroy things; a scene or situation that involves a lot of violence Movies seem to be filled with murder and mayhem these days. a criminal who escaped from prison and caused mayhem

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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 mayhem It’s designed to be a celebratory moment before mayhem descends. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The tester isn’t just improvising mayhem; a safety standard details the tests a product must pass, and a UL mark is shorthand for surviving. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026 The opening sequence shows the partners in mayhem, Jason Duval and Lucia Camino, arriving at an apartment as part of what appears to be a drug deal before getting involved in a shootout with police. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 Simon Nuding, the head of safety for SailGP at the time, recalled that moment of mayhem. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mayhem

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mayhem

Noun

Settler violence has surged under the ultranationalist government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Media can have biases and often focus only on certain types of violence.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of violence

Noun

However, only Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, a security chief infamous for his brutality, is likely to face execution, the rest having been tried in absentia.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
If Wayne, a fictional character, were a more solid creation, the movie could better explore the issue of whether answering racist brutality in kind is more effective than relying on an inadequate system.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of brutality

Noun

Lasko suffered the spinal cord injury in a collision with a teammate June 30 that left him paralyzed from the chest down, with both arms affected, too.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
But lower-body injuries the last couple of years — a left groin strain last season and a left hamstring strain earlier this season — forced him away from it.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of injury

Noun

But times have changed since the days when Wasim and Waqar Younis struck terror into the hearts of opposition lineups with the ferocity of their bowling, or Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq made hay with the bat.

— James Wallace, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
State standards for high school world history classes also suggest discussing 9/11 and the war on terror.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of terror

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mayhap

mayhem

mazard

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“Mayhem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mayhem. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of mayhem

noun

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