as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
they were in a hurry, so they just tossed everything into the room willy-nilly, leaving it to be all sorted out later
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Recent Examples of willy-nilly
No numbers thrown out willy-nilly.
—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
1 Mar. 2026
There are now as many games as there are phones; what used to be a feast that everyone devoured together has been divvied up into a gazillion little snacks gobbled down willy-nilly.
—
Rand Richards Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
8 Jan. 2026
But that doesn’t negate what is already happening in other parts of the economy, where the Administration is intervening willy-nilly, dispensing money and favors, and expanding its reach at a pace that’s hard to keep up with.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Surtain, the reigning defensive player of the year, does not lather such compliments upon wideouts willy-nilly.
—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willy-nilly
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
1 Mar. 2026
There are now as many games as there are phones; what used to be a feast that everyone devoured together has been divvied up into a gazillion little snacks gobbled down willy-nilly.
—
Rand Richards Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
8 Jan. 2026
But that doesn’t negate what is already happening in other parts of the economy, where the Administration is intervening willy-nilly, dispensing money and favors, and expanding its reach at a pace that’s hard to keep up with.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Surtain, the reigning defensive player of the year, does not lather such compliments upon wideouts willy-nilly.
—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willy-nilly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willy-nilly
randomly
Adverb
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These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.
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Iran got a midfielder from Germany when his aunt, a television and film star in Tehran, randomly posted a family photo on social media.
Cite this Entry
“Willy-nilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willy-nilly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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