1
as in pistol
a very energetic person
the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerhouse
an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired
that new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of live wire
Thieves also have been electrocuted while trying to steal copper from live wires.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Krieger says the singer was a live wire literally from the band's formation.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 14 May 2025
The Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said one of the two deaths happened when a Pittsburgh man was electrocuted by live wires, per Accuweather.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Like other great comedy duos, Vaughn and Wilson are a smoothly compatible mismatch; Vaughn’s energy is cranked up, a sparking live wire, while Wilson is an easy-breezy roll-with-it type.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live wire
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Krieger says the singer was a live wire literally from the band's formation.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 14 May 2025
The Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said one of the two deaths happened when a Pittsburgh man was electrocuted by live wires, per Accuweather.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Like other great comedy duos, Vaughn and Wilson are a smoothly compatible mismatch; Vaughn’s energy is cranked up, a sparking live wire, while Wilson is an easy-breezy roll-with-it type.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live wire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for live wire
Noun
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Those who remained in the South during the brutal fight for Civil Rights saw leaders and laypeople assassinated by white supremacists with long-range rifles, beaten by the butts of shotguns during marches, or shot with pistols at close range.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
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Davis looked at the barrel of the pistol and saw smoke curling upward, as if in slow motion.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For years, Israel has been considered an economic powerhouse regionally and globally, driven in large part by its vaunted high-tech industry.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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Miele The German brand is a powerhouse, with the C3 boasting a 1600W PowerLine motor to deliver serious suction for deep carpet cleaning.—
Alex Harrington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In other words, the dynamo (the natural process through which the sun produces its magnetic field) that was thought to depend on the tachocline also appears to create and maintain it, a feedback loop that earlier models had missed.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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Attacking midfielder Pep Biel is Charlotte’s leading scorer, a 137-pound dynamo who should return Saturday night from injury.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Live wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/live%20wire. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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