haywire 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhā-ˌwī(-ə)r How to pronounce haywire (audio)
Definition of haywirenext
1
as in down
not being in working order The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mad
unable to think in a clear or sensible way She gradually went haywire with grief after the tragic death of her husband.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

haywire

2 of 2

adverb

as in uncontrollably

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Dissimilar Words

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 haywire
Adverb
Robot meltdown — The LLMs also sometimes went haywire in unexpected ways. — Billy Perrigo, Time, 28 Oct. 2025 The Baltimore Orioles' season went haywire fast after a disappointing offseason that saw ace Corbin Burnes walk, and with no real replacement added to their pitching staff. — Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
  1. down
  2. mad
  3. uncontrollably
  4. malfunctioning
  5. psychotic
  6. crazily
  7. broken
  8. insane
Adjective
  • On the edge, Dre’Mont Jones tallied a pressure in team drills, and Elijah Ponder had a down day relative to some recent practices.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the Chiefs having a down year and missing the playoffs, Kelce was still productive last season.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • Alec Hammond, my production designer, is just a mad scientist.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • Fortunately, Alec Hammond, the production designer, is a is a mad scientist.
    — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of mad
Adverb
  • Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of uncontrollably
Adjective
  • Oen Sujet’s catalog sounds equally like the product of a random number generator or a malfunctioning algorithm as of a deeply mercurial artist.
    — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
  • The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the owner of a malfunctioning chemical storage tank in Garden Grove that has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as fire crews race to avoid an explosion.
    — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 24 May 2026
Definition of malfunctioning
Adjective
  • The evaluator concluded the elder Henrichsen likely merited a diagnosis of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026
  • In a recent eight-week stretch, 6% of my postpartum patients met criteria for a psychotic disorder—almost six times higher than rates published in the medical literature.
    — Uruj Kamal Haider, Time, 21 July 2026
Definition of psychotic
Adverb
  • And when Andreeva hits one of her crazily creative shots and turns to Martínez for praise, she is met with a smile, and maybe some clapping.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 June 2026
  • The scene used one of the film’s funniest visual gags, an apartment so crazily tilted that nobody inside it could stand up straight.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Definition of crazily
Adjective
  • His adventures traversing a broken land of haunted people and animals may be less the stuff of future myth and more about trauma, but Yoon brilliantly creates voices for human and canine that make both more whole.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
  • The broken, headless humerus was instead left to float freely in the man’s arm, unattached to his upper body.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Definition of broken
Adjective
  • Dominguez, who was declared legally insane the day after the verdicts, will be sent to a state mental hospital.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
  • These were two insane asks — a 7-foot giant and an 8-year-old kid who has to be your second lead.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026
Definition of insane

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Cite this Entry

“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of haywire for Spanish Speakers

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