as in haphazard
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Recent Examples of hit-and-miss
Drew Allar, Penn State Allar has prototypical size, tantalizing arm strength and… well, hit-and-miss production.
—
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond was more hit-and-miss, and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden had little impact other than letting punts bounce for extra yards time after time.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
But overall, styling is hit-and-miss on this one in my humble opinion.
—New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
The hit-and-miss driverless experience comes despite Musk responding in September to a Robotaxi user’s social media lament about having a supervisor in the driver’s seat.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
So much of the immediate pleasure of the show came from how unforced and unstudied the young ensemble was in the beginning, but what felt like brilliant casting in the beginning became increasingly more hit-and-miss as the show progressed.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
Perhaps not coincidentally, Crowe has been on a long-running, hit-and-miss self-improvement program for at least two decades.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
They have been hit-and-miss with their high-quality opportunities, though, with their big-chance conversion rate of 33 per cent matching Manchester United’s.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond was more hit-and-miss, and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden had little impact other than letting punts bounce for extra yards time after time.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
But overall, styling is hit-and-miss on this one in my humble opinion.
—New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
The hit-and-miss driverless experience comes despite Musk responding in September to a Robotaxi user’s social media lament about having a supervisor in the driver’s seat.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
So much of the immediate pleasure of the show came from how unforced and unstudied the young ensemble was in the beginning, but what felt like brilliant casting in the beginning became increasingly more hit-and-miss as the show progressed.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
Perhaps not coincidentally, Crowe has been on a long-running, hit-and-miss self-improvement program for at least two decades.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
They have been hit-and-miss with their high-quality opportunities, though, with their big-chance conversion rate of 33 per cent matching Manchester United’s.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-and-miss
Adjective
-
Rosenior abandoned his haphazard experiment at half-time, bringing on forward Alejandro Garnacho for centre-back Wesley Fofana and reverting to a back four.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Through orchestra, chamber music, and even haphazard improv with friends, music has acted as a bridge to understanding others and continuing to explore and learn with them.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
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
Adjective
-
Forecasters say most storms will be hit-or-miss, but a few could briefly turn strong enough to produce hail, especially during the afternoon and evening.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Steven Conrad’s particular brand of absurdity and plucky dark humor has been hit-or-miss for me, even as it has been boosted by the strength of Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
13 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
-
Long aimless drives opened up my small teenage world.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s goal is to distract you from rising gas prices, his aimless war, ICE abuses, and the Epstein files.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An awkward, desultory conversation ensues.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
There'd be people sitting outside smoking, having desultory conversations, playing games.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Also eligible for reward is information on the death of Iran Moreno, 13, who was killed after a stray bullet struck him through the bedroom window of his Pasadena home in 2021.—
Gabriel San Román,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Those joyful scenes in Prague were fuelled by the disappointment of the previous year, when West Ham lost to Eintracht Frankfurt in a fiery Europa League semi-final, a defeat that saw Moyes almost narrowly missing a ballboy when furiously volleying a stray ball at full time.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hit-and-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-and-miss. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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