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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
ran pell-mell down the road to get help
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pell-mell
Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
The sight of Musk swinging a chainsaw onstage at a conservative conference captured the pell-mell approach, not to mention the brutality, of the billionaire’s plan to bring the federal government to heel.
—Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
What could slow the pell-mell stock market advance of artificial intelligence?
—Larry Light, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
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
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
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
Adverb
The sight of Musk swinging a chainsaw onstage at a conservative conference captured the pell-mell approach, not to mention the brutality, of the billionaire’s plan to bring the federal government to heel.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
The sight of Musk swinging a chainsaw onstage at a conservative conference captured the pell-mell approach, not to mention the brutality, of the billionaire’s plan to bring the federal government to heel.
—Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
What could slow the pell-mell stock market advance of artificial intelligence?
—Larry Light, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pell-mell
Adjective
-
By doing so, the Panthers tried a hurried, fire-drill field goal, which Ryan Fitzgerald then proceeded to miss, which meant the halftime score was 19-3, Buffalo, and soon to get much worse.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
-
There were multiple occasions in which A&M’s defensive front hit or hurried quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with just four rushers.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This is bloody and chaotic, and reasonably interesting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
In November 2023, Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero were sent off in a chaotic 4-1 defeat.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Skattebo’s Giants teammates immediately saw the nature of the injury and frantically waved to the sideline for medical attention.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Sly, Enders and the other journalists Tice had befriended during his rapid professional rise frantically reached out to their contacts, but nobody knew what had happened to him.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
They were each hastily sentenced in Venezuela to 20 years in prison in August under questionable due process.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Though hastily assembled, Soddy’s unheralded return engagement achieved a freshness, atmosphere, flow, and moment-to-moment imaginative acuity that proved transformative.—
Matthew Gurewitsch,
Air Mail,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Our poor Toby, always so stressed, always so rushed.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
These alternatives can often provide a richer, less rushed experience than a whirlwind day trip to Paris.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The podcast episode premiered amid Angelia Solomon's ongoing court battle more than a decade after her and Aaron Solomon's bitter and messy divorce in 2013.—
Katie Nixon,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Moisten the disposable sheets with water and a gentle cleaning agent like Dawn dish soap, then use the DIY wet wipes to clean countertops or messy faces.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Get to Know Erika Council Erika Council, a chef, author, and the owner of Atlanta’s wildly popular Bomb Biscuit Company, stopped by the Southern Living offices to do this interview in person.—
Sid Evans,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Patti Smith wrote a new reflection on her life, a follow up to her other wildly popular memoirs, ten years in the making.—
Julia Hass,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
But as rumors swirled that the gang was on its way to launch another assault, merchants in the market could be seen hurriedly packing their goods.—
Ychmuth Corneille,
Miami Herald,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Book influencers and everyday readers lined up hurriedly to take photos with Aster and get their manuscripts signed.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pell-mell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pell-mell. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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