as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
the police department's investigation of the charges against the mayor was slapdash and not very thorough
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Recent Examples of slapdash
The songs were composed recently enough to address political events from this winter, and the slapdash artwork and YouTube-rip-quality mix suggest the band was too excited to slow down and consult many outside collaborators.
—
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
Tuesday’s decision is the latest judicial rebuke of the government’s maneuvering in Abrego Garcia’s case, which has come to symbolize the administration’s hardline — and, at times, slapdash — approach to immigration enforcement.
—Devan Cole, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
The initiative felt slapdash, and open to divergent interpretations.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
Tuesday’s decision is the latest judicial rebuke of the government’s maneuvering in Abrego Garcia’s case, which has come to symbolize the administration’s hardline — and, at times, slapdash — approach to immigration enforcement.
—Devan Cole, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
The initiative felt slapdash, and open to divergent interpretations.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapdash
Adjective
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Even if the threshold for disagreement was quite low, disagreements were amplified to the point that each random interaction was increasingly likely to exceed the threshold.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
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But as some have learned the hard way, that tendency of random things to appear to form patterns means that the other peak might be just noise.—
Faye Flam,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The day itself may be arbitrary, but the sentiment behind it is not.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Both residents and tourists cruise around on single-speed bikes, parking them in haphazard piles to shop in luxury boutiques, visit the famous Sunday market for clothing and home goods, or grab a cappuccino in a glitzy café.—
Rebecca Rose,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
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San Diego isn’t effectively clearing flammable brush from private properties due to a haphazard inspection system that doesn’t include hefty fines and often fails to re-inspect properties deemed dangerous, a new city audit finds.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Slapdash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapdash. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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