1
a
: a state of utter confusion
the blackout caused chaos throughout the city
b
: a confused mass or mixture
a chaos of television antennas
2
a
often Chaos
: a state of things in which chance is supreme
especially
: the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms compare cosmos
b
: the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (such as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
Examples of chaos in a Sentence
The loss of electricity caused chaos throughout the city.
When the police arrived, the street was in total chaos.
The country had descended into economic chaos.
Recent Examples on the Web
To add to the sense of chaos, a ballboy refused to give the ball to Middlesbrough’s Matt Targett — who began his career at Southampton — which led to another flare-up.
—
Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Like with any true friendship, there’s an air of familiarity and a certain level of chaos to coordinating these get-togethers, with guests expected to arrive fashionably late—giving Jacobsen some wiggle room for styling the tablescape on time.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2026
That chaos is part of the appeal, contest director Martin Green told NBC News in an interview.
—Andrew Jones, NBC news, 12 May 2026
In the film, biotechnology professor Se-jeong, played by Jun, attends an industry conference that descends into chaos after a rapidly mutating virus is released.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaos
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Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Like with any true friendship, there’s an air of familiarity and a certain level of chaos to coordinating these get-togethers, with guests expected to arrive fashionably late—giving Jacobsen some wiggle room for styling the tablescape on time.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2026
That chaos is part of the appeal, contest director Martin Green told NBC News in an interview.
—Andrew Jones, NBC news, 12 May 2026
In the film, biotechnology professor Se-jeong, played by Jun, attends an industry conference that descends into chaos after a rapidly mutating virus is released.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaos
Cite this Entry
“Chaos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaos. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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