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
In Nashville, a lot of people work in entertainment, but there are plenty of others who don’t, so Allie started to collect a random assortment of friends.
—
Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
The memo instructs creators who sign on to make new social media accounts under usernames that reflect their names or a nickname, avoiding brands, random numbers or anything that looks like spam.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Police say Tyler Brown opened fire on the busy street near the Charles River Monday afternoon, shooting at random at passing drivers.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 13 May 2026
The networking event or random mutual could unexpectedly lead to something exciting.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for random
Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
The memo instructs creators who sign on to make new social media accounts under usernames that reflect their names or a nickname, avoiding brands, random numbers or anything that looks like spam.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Police say Tyler Brown opened fire on the busy street near the Charles River Monday afternoon, shooting at random at passing drivers.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 13 May 2026
The networking event or random mutual could unexpectedly lead to something exciting.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for random
Recent Examples of Synonyms for random
Adjective
-
In that case, most areas will see scattered rain, but the more robust cells could produce brief, heavy downpours.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
According to Sánchez Blanco, González López oversaw the machinery that allowed arbitrary arrests, torture and the defiance of judicial release orders to occur.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
-
The day itself may be arbitrary, but the sentiment behind it is not.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
By the time officers arrived, the situation had escalated into what officials described as an active shooter incident, with the suspect walking down the middle of Memorial Drive and firing in an erratic manner as traffic came to a halt.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
-
In a video about an erratic Uber driver, a recognizable dynamic—awkward small talk, impatience to set off—escalates into a life-threatening one.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Outraged residents are now demanding that immediate measures be taken to control the stray dog population.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
-
These intimate reflections read like pages taken from private diaries, with all the informality and vulnerability of that genre, including misspellings and stray thoughts.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The sturdy, durable case offers a water-resistant fabric, which is great for accidental coffee spills amid the airport security line.—
Sarah DiMuro,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office attributed his death to an accidental ketamine overdose and said drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine — used to treat opioid use disorder — were factors.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Random.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/random. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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