as in violence
actions that hurt people and destroy things; a scene or situation that involves a lot of violence
Movies seem to be filled with murder and mayhem these days. a criminal who escaped from prison and caused mayhem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 mayhem
But Apex itself is a different beast altogether, more reliant on lightning-fast player movement that borders on parkour, allowing for high-stakes acrobatics amid the mayhem of combat.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
Your brain is hard-wired to zoom in on violence, mayhem and terrorism for fight-or-flight purposes because those acts are threats to survival.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Despite the mayhem, the festival carried on, with The Strokes headlining later that night under far-from-ideal conditions.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2025
Because nothing pairs with a Montana sunset like murder and mayhem.
—EW.com, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
Your brain is hard-wired to zoom in on violence, mayhem and terrorism for fight-or-flight purposes because those acts are threats to survival.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Despite the mayhem, the festival carried on, with The Strokes headlining later that night under far-from-ideal conditions.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2025
Because nothing pairs with a Montana sunset like murder and mayhem.
—EW.com, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mayhem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mayhem
Noun
-
That’s the percentage of emergency department doctors and nurses that reported witnessing at least one incidence of violence at work.—
Maria Gracia Santillana Linares,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
If new outbreaks of local or larger regional violence do indeed occur, the likelihood of any side achieving a zero-sum game victory becomes even more remote.—
Hannah Rae Armstrong,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ukrainians React: Trump’s claim that Ukraine was responsible for its war with Russia has left many Ukrainians disillusioned, including residents of Bucha, a Kyiv suburb that has become a symbol of Russian brutality.—
Chris Buckley,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The biggest plutocrats of the first Gilded Age, for all their brutalities, played an essentially stabilizing role from behind the scenes—the Cardinal Richelieu role, the wise banker in the background.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Might an injury to Crane’s most expensive free-agent addition accelerate that timeline?—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Her roommate called 911, and emergency responders found Zhuang suffering from multiple upper-body injuries, officials said.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On January 1, revelers rang in the new year to tragedy when a terror attack claimed 15 lives and left 57 injured.—
Harriet Shepherd,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Celebrated around the world, Mardi Gras holds a special meaning for the citizens of New Orleans, especially after the terror attack on the city’s famed Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mayhem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mayhem. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share