live wires

noun

plural of live wire
1
as in pistols
a very energetic person the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerhouses
an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired that new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 live wires Response efforts were slowed as debris blocked roads and live wires created hazardous conditions. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 July 2026 Trees and branches were taken out, and live wires went down. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 One of the brothers used a carbon-fibre pole while attempting to get the bird down and touched the live wires on the power line, killing him instantly. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026 On the other hand, the Cracker Barrel debacle touched so many live wires of American politics that the story was simply irresistible. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for live wires
  1. pistols
  2. powerhouses
Noun
  • In 2018, a Canadian man pleaded guilty to smuggling guns into Canada via the library by collecting bags of pistols stashed inside the bathroom by his American partners.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • According to a criminal complaint, police recovered two semiautomatic pistols and a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle from Foster’s home.
    — Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Definition of pistols
Noun
  • The biggest headliners in next week's releases include pharmaceutical powerhouses Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk .
    — Assiatou Hann, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Analysts say a takeover could reshape the payments space, bringing together major fintech powerhouses.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of powerhouses

Browse Nearby Words

live wire
live wires
live with
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Live wires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/live%20wires. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All