1
as in down
not being in working order
The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mad
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
She gradually went haywire with grief after the tragic death of her husband.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in uncontrollably
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of haywire
Billy Perrigo, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
The Baltimore Orioles' season went haywire fast after a disappointing offseason that saw ace Corbin Burnes walk, and with no real replacement added to their pitching staff.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haywire
Adverb
Robot meltdown — The LLMs also sometimes went haywire in unexpected ways.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
The Baltimore Orioles' season went haywire fast after a disappointing offseason that saw ace Corbin Burnes walk, and with no real replacement added to their pitching staff.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haywire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
Adjective
-
The left-leaning Pipeline Fund, which started in 2018, helped Democrats in Florida pick up fifteen school-board seats in 2024, and plans to back candidates in school-board and other down-ballot races across twenty-one states in the next midterms.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The Eastern Conference clearly had the stronger goalies in general, even in a down season for future Hockey Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fray was also mad at himself for cramping, which forced him to be substituted out of Saturday’s loss in the 66th minute.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
-
Their ferocious poetry resurrects them, inviting other mad seekers to take up their story.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem -- a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem — a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Netflix’s bracingly nasty action-thriller Apex is a fine addition, plonking the star down in a rugged Australian landscape and throwing nature’s formidable might at her while stirring a psychotic serial killer into the mix.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The risk of a psychotic disorder rose fourfold when highly potent weed was used daily, the study found.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Thanks to a crazily unlikely accident, the researchers had witnessed a sperm-whale birth and had managed to videotape the entire event.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
-
And still, crazily enough, there are occasional firsts.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Holland revealed Fiala might have been ready to return from his broken leg if the Kings had advanced to the second round.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Each progressive Trolls movie has gotten more and more insane.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
To have air traffic controllers or the Transportation Security Administration to go without pay is insane and prejudicial to public safety.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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