1
as in hell
a state in which everything is out of order
computer network problems created havoc throughout the office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the powerful hurricane wreaked havoc all along the coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to ravage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of havoc
Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Oakland’s mayor contends that crime is down, and a recall could create havoc in the city.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Rendy Jones, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for havoc 
Noun
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was widely criticized in autumn 2022 for causing havoc in markets by announcing a huge increase in borrowing to fund tax cuts without any prior warning.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Oakland’s mayor contends that crime is down, and a recall could create havoc in the city.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Plankton: The Movie arrives exclusively on Netflix in 2025.
06 of 06
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)
Next year SpongeBob returns to theaters with his fourth film, The Search for SquarePants, as Plankton wrecks havoc on Netflix.
—Rendy Jones, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for havoc
Recent Examples of Synonyms for havoc
Noun
-
Not-so-happy couple Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris) go on the ultimate hell ride with a gregarious, over-sharing driver (Nick Frost, living it up here).Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
-
So, the ex-lovers strike a deal: If Agatha can get Billy to willingly turn himself in and let Rio kill him, then Rio will stop pursuing Agatha and making her life hell.Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
His family was living the reality unfolding before his eyes—his beloved homeland ravaged, night after night.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Spain, despite storms that have ravaged the Valencia region, brought in $937K from 291 screens at No. 5 for the weekend.Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Your command center team is your last line of defense against chaos.Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
In a world where one call by a TV channel can throw a campaign into chaos, everyone involved seems to understand how high the stakes are.Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
But amid the stories of destruction and despair, the film also promises a vision of a better world, of a future where Israelis and Palestinians, like the directors of this documentary, can work together towards justice and freedom.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Tornado-spawning thunderstorms leave a path of destruction across Oklahoma.Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
A week after Helene smashed into the Southeast, power outages, water shortages and impassable roads stymie recovery Tropical systems, of course, can plunder coastlines.Sharif Paget, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024
-
And neither Coppola nor Snyder deals with how ideologues have plundered the West.Armond White, National Review, 9 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Lioness is a mess of political signifiers without a coherent political worldview.Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
-
The trick is to work out how the complicated mess of standards, confusing acronyms, and sci-fi-sounding features translate to better Wi-Fi in your home.Simon Hill, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Eklund had a season-low 15:20 in ice time in the Sharks’ 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
-
Instead of a defining win, the Broncos suffered a crusher of a 16-14 loss here Sunday when Lutz’s 35-yard walk-off field goal attempt got blocked.Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Recent decades have seen the repatriation of Khmer artifacts from abroad, some of which were looted in the 1970s during the period of violence and instability under the communist Khmer Rouge regime, per the Associated Press.Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024
-
Since 2022, the detainees are believed to have looted millions of euros and run up a similar amount in property damage, from 2022 to 2024, Europol said.Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024
Articles Related to havoc
Thesaurus Entries Near havoc
Cite this Entry
“Havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/havoc. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share