wantonly

adverb

Definition of wantonlynext
1
as in recklessly

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2
as in wastefully

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wantonly But even here, where the damage is being done gleefully and wantonly, the US Congress has stood up to these funding cuts in a bipartisan manner. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026 Likewise, a circumstance all by itself could be the matter of regulating AI makers about allowing their AI to wantonly provide mental health advice. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wantonly
  1. recklessly
  2. wastefully
  3. heedlessly
  4. indulgently
  5. desperately
  6. comfortably
Adverb
  • Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil, 45, of Napa, was charged Thursday with one felony count of recklessly causing a fire of a structure or forest, the Napa County district attorney’s office said in a statement.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Witnesses said the Corvette was driving recklessly for more than an hour before the crash, including allegedly doing doughnuts.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of recklessly
Adverb
  • On a pretty dead pitch offering very little to the bowlers, the quartet wastefully surrendered their wickets for all that England deserved credit (particularly Archer) for persistence and a generally probing line after what had been a fairly disastrous start to the day from Carse.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of wastefully
Adverb
  • Tanner plunges into these ostentatiously autobiographical roles, heedlessly, hectically and without a psychiatric net.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of heedlessly
Adverb
  • Longevity helps; if Picasso hadn’t outlived his Blue Period and Guernica by a long stretch of years, he might be dinted today as indulgently moody.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • There are no indulgently long songs—SUSS record in the present perfect.
    — Brian Howe, Pitchfork, 12 May 2026
Definition of indulgently
Adverb
  • And secondly, these stories are resonating with younger audiences, a demographic Hollywood desperately wants to reach.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As Kaepernick tried desperately to keep his protest on message, the rest of his life was picked apart, from his romantic partner to his clothing choices.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of desperately
Adverb
  • With mortgage rates lingering between 6% and 7%, more than double the rates seen during the pandemic, smaller homes can fit more comfortably into a buyer's budget – especially for first-time buyers, LendingTree said.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • We got comfortably established, with Reiffer’s brother Hubert in charge, and at sunup the next day went looking for tiger sign.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of comfortably

Browse Nearby Words

wanton
wantonly
wantonness
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Cite this Entry

“Wantonly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wantonly. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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