as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
your hit-or-miss schedule for taking your medication is going to land you in the hospital again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
I was learning Spanish hit or miss, mostly just by hearing my friends speak it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hit-or-miss
PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
And while this didn’t necessarily mark the end of the league’s hit-or-miss booking strategy—turns out that 1997 Blues Brothers tribute featuring Jim Belushi and John Goodman wasn’t the product of a mass hallucination—the Wacko Jacko coup was a huge step forward for the NFL.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Scott Powers, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Trojans were five for 24 inside the arc through one half, left to rely instead on their long-range shooting, which mostly has been hit or miss.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss
Adjective
Although its interface works well, the actual recommendations are hit-or-miss.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
And while this didn’t necessarily mark the end of the league’s hit-or-miss booking strategy—turns out that 1997 Blues Brothers tribute featuring Jim Belushi and John Goodman wasn’t the product of a mass hallucination—the Wacko Jacko coup was a huge step forward for the NFL.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
The offense has been hit or miss since Bedard’s injury.
—Scott Powers, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Trojans were five for 24 inside the arc through one half, left to rely instead on their long-range shooting, which mostly has been hit or miss.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit-or-miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-or-miss
Adjective
-
Instead, a suitcase and a random assortment of clothes disappeared along with her.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
PlayStation consoles rely on a type of dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, chips, which are in short supply as demand from artificial intelligence and data center operators increases.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Others have tried to explain the collapse as a real, spontaneous, randomly timed physical event that picks out a unique outcome from among the many possibilities — although just what factors would cause such a physical collapse are unclear.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The mysterious case of a chain-saw-wielding vandal who appeared to randomly terrorize trees in and around downtown Los Angeles last year has come to an anticlimactic close.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His scattered family, like so many others, reflects the extraordinary exodus of almost 8 million Venezuelans — regarded as the largest-ever displacement of people in the Americas.—
Mery Mogollon,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
More scattered sleet, snow and ice are expected for the afternoon, before widespread precipitation is predicted to return Saturday night.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Venezuela’s opposition and human rights groups have long accused the country’s authoritarian regime of using arbitrary arrests to suppress dissent.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Cut Buddy's tariff bills became erratic and exorbitant.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Using Color to Stir Emotion Much of Brontë's original text is unsettling, with the reader never quite knowing what our erratic characters will do next and what will be the consequences of their actions.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hit-or-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-or-miss. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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