1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
when the theater doors opened, there was a pell-mell rush for the best seats
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
pell-mell piles of books everywhere in the professor's library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
tossed stuff pell-mell into the dorm room
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2
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
ran pell-mell down the road to get help
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pell-mell
Nicolas Rapold, airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Abe and Mary are part Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, part George and Martha, part the old vaudevillians George Burns and Gracie Allen, all running together pell-mell toward the Copacabana.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024
Administration officials don’t see this situation as similar to October 2022, when the intelligence community saw a significant possibility Putin might use tactical nuclear weapons to avert a collapse of Russia’s front lines in Ukraine and prevent a pell-mell retreat.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Ultimately, the more naturalistic second half — which has a realistic set with chairs and tables, delivered in a clunky black-out transition by intrusive stagehands — gets as sharp and loud as the pell-mell sounds-and-lights first half.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2024
Only a few of them stopped with remainder racing pell-mell through the intersection as approaching cars on Charles braked abruptly.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
Ministry is not nearly as proficient as Chad Stahelski’s John Wick 4 or Matthias Schweighöfer’s Army of Thieves, but the pell-mell combat scenes are consistently cartoonish.
—Armond White, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
America saw a pell-mell downsizing of gas-guzzling vehicles and a simultaneous ramping up of imports of fuel-efficient Japanese cars.
—Jim Krane, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023
The brokers surged out of the exchange, stumbling pell-mell over each other in the general confusion, and reached their respective offices in racehorse time.
—Mickey Butts, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Adverb
People ran pell-mell outside, sped away in cars with no clear destination, went to church, or just phoned the police or radio station to hyperventilate.
—Nicolas Rapold, airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Abe and Mary are part Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, part George and Martha, part the old vaudevillians George Burns and Gracie Allen, all running together pell-mell toward the Copacabana.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024
Administration officials don’t see this situation as similar to October 2022, when the intelligence community saw a significant possibility Putin might use tactical nuclear weapons to avert a collapse of Russia’s front lines in Ukraine and prevent a pell-mell retreat.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Ultimately, the more naturalistic second half — which has a realistic set with chairs and tables, delivered in a clunky black-out transition by intrusive stagehands — gets as sharp and loud as the pell-mell sounds-and-lights first half.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2024
Only a few of them stopped with remainder racing pell-mell through the intersection as approaching cars on Charles braked abruptly.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
Ministry is not nearly as proficient as Chad Stahelski’s John Wick 4 or Matthias Schweighöfer’s Army of Thieves, but the pell-mell combat scenes are consistently cartoonish.
—Armond White, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
America saw a pell-mell downsizing of gas-guzzling vehicles and a simultaneous ramping up of imports of fuel-efficient Japanese cars.
—Jim Krane, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023
The brokers surged out of the exchange, stumbling pell-mell over each other in the general confusion, and reached their respective offices in racehorse time.
—Mickey Butts, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pell-mell
Adjective
-
This comes as the Trump administration has faced growing criticisms for its hurried proceedings to remove as many noncitizens from the country as quickly as possible.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
-
In Alentejo, food is meant to be shared, and time at the table is never hurried, and this is a central element of the experience at São Lourenço do Barrocal.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As chaotic and entertaining as the transfer portal is, keeping star-caliber pieces in college is vital to building a truly elite team.—
Jim Root,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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Viewers looked forward to their weekly check-in with Akil’s characters, who are as flawed and resilient as real people, neither Shonda levels of chaotic nor reality-TV caricatures.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Adverb
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In the video shared by Bennett, her dog can be initially seen strolling right past her before abruptly stopping and running up to Bennett with her tail wagging frantically.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double to put the team up 4-3 in the bottom of the inning when players from his team frantically tried to alert umpires and security the fan was on the warning track.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Adverb
-
Most managers brought in mid-season hastily comb through the wreckage, tweak personnel into a shape that makes sense, and figure out how to boost performance levels.—
Brett Koremenos,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
The rebels captured Goma for the first time in 2012 but hastily withdrew, as military defeats and international sanctions slapped on their Rwandan backers forced them into exile.—
Sophie Neiman,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That mix of vulnerability, humor, and diplomacy is classic Angela: unbothered but not detached, direct but never messy.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Downside: Their fall was so swift and messy that this might not be a quick turnaround — and, if the Rangers are bad again in 2025-26, a new coach might get swept out the door with GM Chris Drury.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
In short, fate’s distribution of long straws is wildly capricious.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
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The eastern coast of the Italian Riviera, beginning in Genoa and ending at the Tuscan border, ranks among the most famous seasides in the world, with wildly popular resorts like Portofino and Cinque Terre.—
Catherine Sabino,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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In his headlong rush to replace Pax Americana with America First, Mr. Trump has left the world fumbling to adjust to a new landscape, the contours of which are still in flux.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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My yell must have startled him for a second or two, and my headlong rush kept him off balance just long enough.—
Howard Copenhaver,
Outdoor Life,
23 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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All of it wild-caught.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
orlandosentinel.com,
14 Aug. 2020
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Our first stop is in a wild-looking stretch 200 yards south of the railroad tracks and State Street.—
Paul A. Smith,
Journal Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Pell-mell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pell-mell. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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