1
as in down
not being in working order
The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
as in uncontrollably
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of haywire
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
See All Example Sentences for 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
See All Example Sentences for haywire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
Adjective
-
The success of the farm system, much like the major league roster, will be predicated on how a number of position player prospects respond to down seasons.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
With a lot of pressure on A&M to perform after a down year in 2025, relying on a true freshman at a critical position is definitely a gamble.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Local bookstores were, at the time, folding en masse, and people were mad about the growing predominance of chain retail.—
Henry Grabar,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Even conservatives are mad, writes columnist Anita Chabria.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Often, the easiest solution to fix a malfunctioning attack is to change the striker.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There's also the scenario where the user experience just isn't great, whether that's subpar customer service or a malfunctioning app.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Slovak adds a chicken-scratch guitar that sounds like Nile Rodgers stuck in a psychotic loop.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
In schizophrenia, one type of psychotic disorder, exercise is believed to be neuroprotective, tamping down inflammation in the brain and spurring the release of chemicals that support and maintain brain cell growth.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
And still, crazily enough, there are occasional firsts.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
All this happened before, with the aid of a boombox, Singh and the little girls taught me to crazily dance Punjabi-style in their welcoming home occupied by three generations.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond the physical pain of a torn ligament or a broken bone, a sports injury often strips a young athlete of a big part of their identity.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Sahl said the woman appeared to have serious injuries, including broken bones and burns, but was conscious and able to speak.—
Trevor Sochocki,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The first six years of the Black Crowes were insane to process.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
-
An optimist and networker with Harpo Marx hair, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2023 for helping invent the HTTPS encryption system and was among the first to take AI seriously, back when AI seemed even more insane.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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