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
Daniel Arnold—whose street work picks up from Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz, but with a ragged edge of comic mayhem—goes wild on one of the show’s large walls.
—
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
The storage space is a veritable Fort Knox safe from tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and all manner of mischief and mayhem, where the 68-degree temperature and 45% humidity are ideal for preserving paper and film.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026
Market mayhem could just be the start of it if the war drags on and spreads farther into the Middle East.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
In the absurdist comedy, Song stars alongside Dustin Milligan, Simon Rex and Jason Biggs in a wild story about two brothers whose cross-country journey turns into mayhem after they get pulled into a global conspiracy.
—Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
The storage space is a veritable Fort Knox safe from tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and all manner of mischief and mayhem, where the 68-degree temperature and 45% humidity are ideal for preserving paper and film.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026
Market mayhem could just be the start of it if the war drags on and spreads farther into the Middle East.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
In the absurdist comedy, Song stars alongside Dustin Milligan, Simon Rex and Jason Biggs in a wild story about two brothers whose cross-country journey turns into mayhem after they get pulled into a global conspiracy.
—Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mayhem
Noun
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But the new revelations of physical violence make Redzepi’s prior gestures toward amends-making feel like a lie.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Political risk insurance is a type of coverage intended to protect firms against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions, or violence.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Crump is known for representing relatives of victims of high-profile police brutality cases.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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Throughout, the camera lingers on Bobbi’s taut body and adonic profile; beauty and brutality are never far apart.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That said, slow running aligns with the zone 2 cardio trend, which promises ample cardiovascular benefit, plus minimized injury risk.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
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Detroit captain Dylan Larkin missed his sixth consecutive game due to a lower-body injury.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At one point, Adams appeared to suggest without explanation that a terror attack could become more likely in the city if Mamdani was elected.—
ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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The victims inside Temple Israel, the congregation that had just survived a terror attack on American soil, should have been the complete and total focus.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mayhem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mayhem. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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