as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immediately
without delay
had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headlong
John R. MacArthur, Air Mail, 8 Nov. 2025
With that lightness, making that headlong dive into uncertainty got easier.
—Sarah Chamberlain, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
For its part, the Post has run headlong into battle with the most powerful politician in the state and one of the most visible figures in Democratic politics.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Adjective
The study, conceived by Karen Froud and published last year, was the first of its kind and should have jolted policymakers and publishers alike into questioning the headlong rush away from print, even as reading scores continue to plummet nationwide.
—John R. MacArthur, Air Mail, 8 Nov. 2025
With that lightness, making that headlong dive into uncertainty got easier.
—Sarah Chamberlain, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
In the race to build the most powerful coding model, OpenAI has run headlong into the risks of releasing it.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
For its part, the Post has run headlong into battle with the most powerful politician in the state and one of the most visible figures in Democratic politics.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong
Adjective
-
Then in the final seconds of the period, Merrimack turned the puck over in their own zone but Jack Galanek could not stuff his hurried shot home.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Pre-existing structures, supported by documentation and commercial logic, carry far more weight than hurried adjustments made after funds are already exposed.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Local media reported the bodies were transported in a government vehicle by unidentified individuals and buried hastily, with some gravediggers later alerting police.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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The gate also has several holes and breaches that have been hastily repaired.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Charges against him related to the shooting were not immediately filed, and his name was not released.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ames had her home tested after that, and those results confirmed the house had mold − with high enough levels in the air alone that experts told the Ames family to leave their home immediately.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Little emphasized the need to ease property taxes in a letter accompanying his signature but criticized Moyle’s approach as rushed and overly complex.—
Mark Dee
March 25,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
-
May 21 – June 20 Steady, thoughtful sentences are your friend — skip the rushed word vomit!—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Local media reported that unidentified people brought the bodies from elsewhere in a vehicle belonging to the government and hurriedly buried them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Everything—from the squat, one-story structure to the station wagon parked outside—had been coated in the same uneven layer of white paint, as if someone had tried, hurriedly, to erase it from the landscape.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The only blemish in that span was a seventh-inning walk to Beck, who was promptly caught stealing.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
William is sent on a spy-adjacent mission by Captain Ezekiel Richardson that takes him through Great Dismal Swamp on the North Carolina–Virginia border, where he promptly gets lost and seriously injured until Ian, who is working as a liaison with the Native tribes, comes upon him.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Players admit emotions can get the best of them, leading to impulsive challenges that cost their team later in the game.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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His impulsive decision-making and lack of a strategy for exiting the Iran war are also ingredients for hardship and disaster.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In You, Me & Tuscany, Anna (Bailey) impulsively jets off to the Italian countryside to stay in a stranger’s villa sans permission.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
22 Mar. 2026
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Beyond prison time, authorities warn of the lasting impact of a felony conviction, particularly for teenagers and young adults who may act impulsively online without understanding the consequences.—
Raul Trey Lopez,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headlong. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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