as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
your hit-or-miss schedule for taking your medication is going to land you in the hospital again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hit-or-miss
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Beyond Stanley, the Ravens haven’t spent a ton of money on veteran offensive linemen, which has put pressure on their young draft picks to develop — and that’s been hit-or-miss with guard Ben Cleveland, a third-round pick in 2021, heading the list of recent misses.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Elainie Colton, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
Over the years, performances have been hit or miss at the Oscars.
—Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss
Adjective
Pritchard has been a hit-or-miss scorer of late, notching single-digit point totals in four of his last eight games, including goose eggs against Philadelphia and Charlotte.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Beyond Stanley, the Ravens haven’t spent a ton of money on veteran offensive linemen, which has put pressure on their young draft picks to develop — and that’s been hit-or-miss with guard Ben Cleveland, a third-round pick in 2021, heading the list of recent misses.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
The area can expected hit or miss showers and thunderestorms.
—Elainie Colton, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
Over the years, performances have been hit or miss at the Oscars.
—Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-or-miss
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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Analysts say the Israeli military often uses randomly generated international numbers since phone calls are not permitted between the two countries, technically at war for decades.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The team randomly assigned half of the patients a weekly semaglutide shot and the other half a placebo for six months.—
Dr. Grace Hagan,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
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
“Hit-or-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-or-miss. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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