as in violence
actions that hurt people and destroy things; a scene or situation that involves a lot of violence
Movies seem to be filled with murder and mayhem these days. a criminal who escaped from prison and caused mayhem
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mayhem
Iran is an uncontrollable, radical country that spreads terror and mayhem throughout the Middle East and has continually threatened America.
—
Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Okay, this isn't over until there is a complete de-linkage between Iran and its proxies which have spread death, mayhem and destruction around the Middle East.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Every shark movie owes a debt to the sacred mother Jaws, but the thriller about bitey creatures spreading carnage and mayhem in bad weather that Thrash most resembles is Alexandre Aja’s superior nail-biter, Crawl.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Everyone was understandably rattled, but no one was hurt in the mayhem, a frankly astonishing outcome for the alleged perpetrator.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Okay, this isn't over until there is a complete de-linkage between Iran and its proxies which have spread death, mayhem and destruction around the Middle East.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Every shark movie owes a debt to the sacred mother Jaws, but the thriller about bitey creatures spreading carnage and mayhem in bad weather that Thrash most resembles is Alexandre Aja’s superior nail-biter, Crawl.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Everyone was understandably rattled, but no one was hurt in the mayhem, a frankly astonishing outcome for the alleged perpetrator.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mayhem
Noun
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Wilson wrote and spoke often about how the Black family was ripped apart by chattel slavery and how that foundational act of societal violence cascaded and compounded throughout Black life in 20th century America.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
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As crises have accumulated in the decade since, the hoodie’s tight connection to anti-Black violence seems to have loosened.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The result is that many people with civil claims are effectively unable to use the court system to help with such complaints as an abusive work environment, racial discrimination, environmental violations, police brutality or other issues handled by the federal courts.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Something natural decay shares with human indifference and brutality—war, waste, and rot, literal and metaphorical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Thunder earned a bit of a break and awaits two teams battling injuries in the Lakers and Rockets.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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In 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged with felonies ranging from assault to murder in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who’d suffered a spinal injury while riding in a police van.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The point is, instead, to revel in the contrast between the terrors and the impressively unfazed people who navigate them.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mayhem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mayhem. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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