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 capitalized
: 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
By The New York Times In the chaos, thousands of other gunmen arrived with a different agenda — targeting Alawites in a rampage of sectarian killings.
—
Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
From bold predictions about who's walking out with championship gold to sit-downs with WWE superstars on the verge of history, this preshow is serving as your all-access pass into the chaos, glory, and drama that makes WrestleMania the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
In the chaos, McKenzie’s first call was to her mom.
—Faith Abubey, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Two others also suffered knife wounds in the chaos, though their current conditions are unclear.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaos
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
From bold predictions about who's walking out with championship gold to sit-downs with WWE superstars on the verge of history, this preshow is serving as your all-access pass into the chaos, glory, and drama that makes WrestleMania the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
In the chaos, McKenzie’s first call was to her mom.
—Faith Abubey, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Two others also suffered knife wounds in the chaos, though their current conditions are unclear.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaos
Cite this Entry
“Chaos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaos. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share