as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
a moth kept banging hectically against the screen, seeking the light on the other side
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Recent Examples of hectically
When Grace first awakens on his ship, the film cuts hectically around, above, and below him, as if to approximate his mental and physical disorientation.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Tanner plunges into these ostentatiously autobiographical roles, heedlessly, hectically and without a psychiatric net.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
The old Helena would have mumbled something under her breath, hectically pressed the call button a few more times, and fled the situation as quickly as possible.
—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Tanner plunges into these ostentatiously autobiographical roles, heedlessly, hectically and without a psychiatric net.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
The old Helena would have mumbled something under her breath, hectically pressed the call button a few more times, and fled the situation as quickly as possible.
—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectically
Adverb
-
Jessica Gonzalez hustles behind her booth at the recent Renegade Craft Fair, frantically ringing up sales, answering questions and packaging her beeswax candles.
-
For five days Oswadeliz Núñez Ramírez has been frantically searching for her son across hospitals in La Guaira and Caracas.
Adverb
-
In a wildly entertaining match from start-to-finish, Norway did just enough to sneak into the round of 16 for a date with Brazil in New York/New Jersey.
-
The challenges all take place outside of the studio and are wildly imaginative and surprisingly low-fi.
Cite this Entry
“Hectically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectically. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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