as in scattered
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
since we were new in town, our choice of a vet for our dog was entirely random
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of random
Mugs on your bedside table, random forks on the kitchen table—gather them all and pile them in there.
—
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
There has been a random bright spot in the past two decades of misery, though.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Police Chief DiPersio said that the attack was not random.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The stabbing appeared to be a random act, with detectives saying the victim and suspect did not know each other and had no previous interactions.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for random
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
There has been a random bright spot in the past two decades of misery, though.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Police Chief DiPersio said that the attack was not random.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The stabbing appeared to be a random act, with detectives saying the victim and suspect did not know each other and had no previous interactions.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for random
Recent Examples of Synonyms for random
Adjective
-
Another concern is the protection of Route 90, the only highway connecting the small and scattered communities of the north, on which the 27-year-old woman was killed last week.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Earlier sunshine way to clouds and scattered rain as the first, in a series, of passing systems brings brief wet weather to Maryland.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Bulls don’t want Buzelis to get caught up in hitting an arbitrary number on the scale.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The advisory does not specify uniform procedures at the border but warns travelers that electronic data may be accessed and that enforcement can be arbitrary.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Washington’s commitment has been erratic.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Sam must deal with erratic Mob enforcer Nicky (Joe Pesci) and his own con artist wife, Ginger (Sharon Stone), who still has a personal relationship with her boyfriend/pimp.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some stray bullets also hit a neighboring apartment building, although no injuries were reported.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The stray bullet also grazed her older brother’s back.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later attributed his death to an accidental overdose of ketamine, a hallucinogenic anesthetic that in recent years gained popularity as an off-label, unrelated treatment for depression.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
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His cause of death was later confirmed as an accidental overdose due to cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines and fentanyl.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Random.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/random. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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