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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Recent Examples of mayhem
Amid this mayhem, this frenzy of freedom, cults offered something different.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The only nod to present-day Kentucky Derby mayhem is the kitschy gift shop, filled with wares for out-of-towners who pop in because some influencer suggested it on TikTok.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Those clothes, of course, offer the perfect canvas for the mayhem that follows.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Moscow has stepped up its ballistic-missile attacks across the country, triggering deaths and mayhem.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The only nod to present-day Kentucky Derby mayhem is the kitschy gift shop, filled with wares for out-of-towners who pop in because some influencer suggested it on TikTok.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Those clothes, of course, offer the perfect canvas for the mayhem that follows.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Moscow has stepped up its ballistic-missile attacks across the country, triggering deaths and mayhem.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mayhem
Noun
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The president pressed Nigeria last fall to take more action against terrorism, accusing the country of failing to deal with rampant violence against Christians.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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The project highlights growing international interest in elevated Latin American genre cinema blending political commentary, suspense, violence and social critique.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Noun
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But no matter the brutality, Allin was able to withstand it all.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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The brutality of Butcher (Karl Urban) comes under the spotlight again, the episode questioning if the ends really justify the means—killing Homelander might complete Butcher’s transformation into a monster.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The 49ers were limited by a plethora of injuries in those games, but the Seahawks had an elite defense, regardless.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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Following Parsons’ injury, the Packers lost five consective games to end their season.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Maika Monroe may have starred in multiple defining horror films of the last 10-plus years, from her breakout in It Follows to the recent box-office smash Longlegs, but no amount of scream-queen credits could prepare her for the gory terror of Victorian Psycho.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Trump later slapped the state-sponsor of terror designation back on at the start of his second term.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mayhem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mayhem. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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