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
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Hilarity and mayhem are largely the point, and audience participation is highly encouraged.
—
Abraham Swee, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Previously, Cassidy worked for the Arizona Republic covering Phoenix police, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and desert-area crime and mayhem.
—Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Abraham Swee, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Previously, Cassidy worked for the Arizona Republic covering Phoenix police, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and desert-area crime and mayhem.
—Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mayhem
Noun
-
Esther says Kim told her that, at times, that need for control boiled over into violence.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Emmline Toussaint, main coordinator of Mary’s Meals' BND school-feeding program in Haiti, said that gas stations in some regions are selling fuel 25% to 30% higher than even what the government stipulated because of gang violence and difficulties with trucks trying to access certain areas.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet, while Munro’s denial was a horrible violence, Fremlin’s deplorable acts were the original brutality.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Nominations in the news, public service and radio/podcast categories span networks, from PBS to ABC and NBC News, with topics ranging from the Los Angeles wildfires to the war in Gaza, immigration and police brutality.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There were no reports of any damage or injuries.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Three people were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center with serious injuries.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And there will surely be a cascade of tears and terrors in-between.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
-
They were included to demonstrate the similarities between cases and the terror that victims were forced to endure.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mayhem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mayhem. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
