1
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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 amuck
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
Adjective
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Things become considerably more volatile when the actual shoot begins and Coppola’s Willy Wonka-like charm — as Plaza describes it — is put to the test by the demands of realizing his mad vision once and for all.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025 -
Still, this is evanescent stuff, hardly weighty enough to get mad about with respect to the aforementioned problematic areas.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Slayton got this contract despite having a down year offensively, which was likely due to the Giants having the 28th-best passing offense in 2024, which saw three separate quarterbacks start a game.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
The Dolphins are looking to bounce back from a down year during the 2024-25 season.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods.—
Peter Hermann,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2023
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Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1.—
Thomas Saccente,
Arkansas Online,
17 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
There is a broken down vehicle on I-35 between Antioch Road/Exit 230 and I-635/Exit 231.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Aug. 2025
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Signs of hair breakage include split ends, flyaways, broken strands, dryness, and hair that stops growing at a certain length.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Likewise, even the best dashboard is useless if your team doesn't use it.—
Ramachander Rao Thallada,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
One newspaper here calling the summit, sickening, shameful, and, in the end, useless.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Yet what starts as sensible due diligence becomes maniacal overpreparation.—
Melissa Sierra,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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The Redeem Team’s most entertaining stories revolve around Bryant’s maniacal work ethic.—
Skyler Trepel Published,
EW.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Meanwhile, Russia, with its much smaller economy and the international isolation triggered by its invasion of Ukraine, desperately needs a hand from China, turning Moscow into the junior partner in this relationship.—
Ivan Watson,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
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But, in all events, the States desperately need clarity that so far has been absent from this Court’s redistricting cases.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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