1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
a bill that was pushed through committee in a last-minute helter-skelter burst of legislative activity
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2
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
papers, books, and unopened mail were stacked helter-skelter on the desk
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1
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
the sheep ran helter-skelter inside their pen when the coyote appeared in their midst
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2
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
goods arranged helter-skelter on the shelves of the variety store
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as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
in the helter-skelter at the amusement park the child got separated from his parents
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of helter-skelter
The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
Joel Kim Booster, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Manson’s Granddaughter Gets Her Day in Court Charles Manson died in prison in 2017, but his offspring continue to stir up helter-skelter in California’s courts.
—Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
Sometime late last week, spray-paint-wielding intruders turned the pink walls of this seven-bedroom mansion into a helter-skelter canvas of pop art, obscure quotations and political insinuations — the third hillside home in Los Angeles to be defaced in recent days.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
The helter-skelter Draft Day trades that netted the Warriors Post with the 52nd pick is not yet finalized.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 June 2024
With Spectrum Center closed for renovations, the Hornets have been displaced somewhat, making things helter-skelter.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2024
The Generals fed off each other with the helter-skelter defense.
—Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2024
In the contemporary, helter-skelter sweep of Mexico City, there is one place — in the southern borough of Xochimilco — where a vision of a watery, pre-Columbian capital may still be imagined.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The helter-skelter start has the Warriors (27-26) emerging from the All-Star break in 10th place in the West at .500.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The opening quarter-hour produced a fast but helter-skelter showing.
—The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
Adverb
The top row is fairly straight, just without the unnatural white hue of a modern Marvel star; the bottom row goes helter-skelter.
—Joel Kim Booster, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Manson’s Granddaughter Gets Her Day in Court Charles Manson died in prison in 2017, but his offspring continue to stir up helter-skelter in California’s courts.
—Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
Sometime late last week, spray-paint-wielding intruders turned the pink walls of this seven-bedroom mansion into a helter-skelter canvas of pop art, obscure quotations and political insinuations — the third hillside home in Los Angeles to be defaced in recent days.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
The helter-skelter Draft Day trades that netted the Warriors Post with the 52nd pick is not yet finalized.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 June 2024
With Spectrum Center closed for renovations, the Hornets have been displaced somewhat, making things helter-skelter.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2024
The Generals fed off each other with the helter-skelter defense.
—Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2024
In the contemporary, helter-skelter sweep of Mexico City, there is one place — in the southern borough of Xochimilco — where a vision of a watery, pre-Columbian capital may still be imagined.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The helter-skelter start has the Warriors (27-26) emerging from the All-Star break in 10th place in the West at .500.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helter-skelter
Adjective
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Diners harken back to a simpler time in American life before the rise of hurried drive-thrus and impersonal delivery services.Tyler Buchanan, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
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The plot is hurried, leaving the actors insufficient time to find their footing.Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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When shown random pixels, the judge guessed correctly only about 59% of the time.Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
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So far, the only sign of anything amiss is the random Magic Marker doodle on the back of one of the many papers in Kornacki’s hands.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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Eight other people were injured in the incident: six by gunshot wounds and another who was trampled as the crowd frantically fled from the shots.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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Jurors attentively studied the video that shows officers frantically trying to revive Neely.Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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According to footage obtained by TMZ, at least one guard appeared to lose balance amidst the scuffle, reportedly injuring their leg in the commotion.Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
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All that commotion in response to a threat is, again, what shows up as swelling.Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Oct. 2024
Adverb
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Musk’s personal fortune swung wildly during Joe Biden’s four years in office, reaching as high as $340 billion and as low as $124 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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Experts largely consider Trump Media a meme stock, meaning its share price can fluctuate wildly, with movements often not a reflection of the company’s underlying financial performance like other stocks.Derek Saul, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Keep scrolling to shop these fashion finds, but hurry, sizes are already selling out.Shea Simmons, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024
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Mashing the gas, the 27-year-old E60 lurched forward and eliminated the gap in a hurry.Sean Evans, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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From there things just keep happening, as one event unfolds into another in a headlong rush amid the incessant clatter of plates and pans and the machine spitting out endless order tickets.Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
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Since 2019, cord-cutting has robbed the Diamond RSNs of as many as 25 million subscribers, and the headlong rush to uncouple from the traditional cable/satellite/telco-TV bundle is only accelerating.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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This push to start campaigns earlier is not arbitrary.Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Expiration dates are somewhat arbitrary The US Food and Drug Administration only began requiring drug manufacturers to put an expiration date on medications in 1979.Keren Landman, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Helter-skelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helter-skelter. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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