as in madhouse
a place of uproar or confusion
there's no way I can get any reading done in this bedlam, so I'm going to the library
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Recent Examples of bedlam
The overthrow of Yemen’s government hatched Houthi dominance; the fall of Libya’s Muammar al-Qaddafi yielded bedlam, instability, and violence.
—
Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Now, Trump’s tariffs, volatility in the dollar and bedlam in the U.S. Treasury market are sending intensifying headwinds China’s way.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Not that anybody would have noticed amid the bedlam and the throb of Newcastle’s grand, old stadium.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025
The bedlam accompanying the group’s distribution practices, aid workers say, was entirely predictable.
—Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bedlam
Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Now, Trump’s tariffs, volatility in the dollar and bedlam in the U.S. Treasury market are sending intensifying headwinds China’s way.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Not that anybody would have noticed amid the bedlam and the throb of Newcastle’s grand, old stadium.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025
The bedlam accompanying the group’s distribution practices, aid workers say, was entirely predictable.
—Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bedlam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedlam
Noun
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The madhouse of awards season and all its many, many controversies — not to mention an ongoing parade of natural and man-made disasters — has until now perhaps overshadowed some of the year’s lower-stakes joys.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
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But things move fast in the Goodison madhouse.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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There’s a great deal of variation across folk schools; students can learn filmmaking, circus arts, or even how to live like a Viking.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
25 July 2025
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The survey spans the breadth of U.K. entertainment, with respondents working across theater (84%), live events and concerts (34%), opera (23%), dance (22%), film (16%), TV (14%), recorded audio (14%), video games (2%) and circus (4%), among other sectors.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 July 2025
Noun
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As the gathering went on, González Gutiérrez heard, on top of the helicopter, loud voices and a general commotion outside.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
23 July 2025
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All the commotion and brutality complicate an otherwise mundane task: visiting Mom for the weekend.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bedlam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedlam. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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