as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
considering the haphazard way you measured the ingredients, it's a wonder the cookies came out this good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
shoes were tossed haphazard into the closet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of haphazard
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House's agenda.
—Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House’s agenda.
—CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
All of this is a bit haphazard, and none of it is very deep or revealing.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for haphazard
Adjective
Tommy and Greg are basically like The Odd Couple in every way, with Tommy’s haphazard approach to life directly contrasting with Greg’s more measured approach.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House's agenda.
—Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House’s agenda.
—CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
All of this is a bit haphazard, and none of it is very deep or revealing.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for haphazard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haphazard
Adjective
-
Those aren’t just random stories.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Law enforcement will also have random checkpoints throughout the county to catch impaired drivers, according to the department's website.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Those who sign up are expected to receive an email to see if they’ve been randomly selected for a time slot to shop when tickets officially go on sale in August.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The motor can also rotate clockwise, causing the cell to tumble about randomly.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The fundamental processes governing brain health — genetics, neural and synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation — do not respect the arbitrary boundaries drawn between neurology and psychiatry.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
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White-Jacket did cause a stir with its discussion of the arbitrary and cruel use of flogging in the US Navy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While playing his first full season as a starter last year, Manning looked like an erratic youngster for the first half of 2025, before eventually settling in and playing much better ball down the stretch.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s erratic tariffs, his contempt for NATO, and uneven support for Ukraine’s defense against a Russian invasion have left him fairly alone.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haphazard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haphazard. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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