1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
a bill that was pushed through committee in a last-minute helter-skelter burst of legislative activity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
papers, books, and unopened mail were stacked helter-skelter on the desk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
the sheep ran helter-skelter inside their pen when the coyote appeared in their midst
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
goods arranged helter-skelter on the shelves of the variety store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
in the helter-skelter at the amusement park the child got separated from his parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 helter-skelter
The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2024
And how did the home crowd react to their new manager after the often helter-skelter performances of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp?
—Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 25 Aug. 2024
The top row is fairly straight, just without the unnatural white hue of a modern Marvel star; the bottom row goes helter-skelter.
—Joel Kim Booster, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Manson’s Granddaughter Gets Her Day in Court Charles Manson died in prison in 2017, but his offspring continue to stir up helter-skelter in California’s courts.
—Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
Sometime late last week, spray-paint-wielding intruders turned the pink walls of this seven-bedroom mansion into a helter-skelter canvas of pop art, obscure quotations and political insinuations — the third hillside home in Los Angeles to be defaced in recent days.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
The helter-skelter Draft Day trades that netted the Warriors Post with the 52nd pick is not yet finalized.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 June 2024
With Spectrum Center closed for renovations, the Hornets have been displaced somewhat, making things helter-skelter.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2024
The Generals fed off each other with the helter-skelter defense.
—Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The opening quarter-hour produced a fast but helter-skelter showing.
—The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
Adverb
Somehow, with their final timeout unused, the Bears let the game’s final 32 seconds tick away with only one snap being taken — a helter-skelter, audibled deep shot from Williams to Rome Odunze that fell incomplete as time expired.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2024
And how did the home crowd react to their new manager after the often helter-skelter performances of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp?
—Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 25 Aug. 2024
The top row is fairly straight, just without the unnatural white hue of a modern Marvel star; the bottom row goes helter-skelter.
—Joel Kim Booster, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Manson’s Granddaughter Gets Her Day in Court Charles Manson died in prison in 2017, but his offspring continue to stir up helter-skelter in California’s courts.
—Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
Sometime late last week, spray-paint-wielding intruders turned the pink walls of this seven-bedroom mansion into a helter-skelter canvas of pop art, obscure quotations and political insinuations — the third hillside home in Los Angeles to be defaced in recent days.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
The helter-skelter Draft Day trades that netted the Warriors Post with the 52nd pick is not yet finalized.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 June 2024
With Spectrum Center closed for renovations, the Hornets have been displaced somewhat, making things helter-skelter.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2024
The Generals fed off each other with the helter-skelter defense.
—Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helter-skelter
Adjective
-
The holiday season can be a hurried, slightly stressful time as the countdown to Christmas morning begins.Rai Mincey, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
-
Briskly paced, de Jonge’s movie covers a lot of ground both tonal and geographic without ever seeming hurried, conspicuously touristic or heavy-handed in its mix of humor and pathos.Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
People Magazine Investigates The shooting appeared random at first, but police eventually unspooled a strange plot involving Li's ex-wife and a bitter custody dispute over their son, Arik, who has severe disabilities stemming from a medical misdiagnosis early in his life.Liam Quinn, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
-
They’re not being killed by random strangers—the threat typically hypothesized by fear-mongers.Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 Dec. 2024
Adverb
-
Thankfully, after a weekend spent frantically scrubbing her skin, Ryan did manage to remove most of the paint.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Bald and tired, Harley studied frantically from his hospital bed, clinging to schoolwork as a handhold on life.Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
In a viral TikTok video, a woman can be seen sitting on the sofa, and there seems to be a commotion going on underneath her top.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
-
More commotion followed, as Sunny Hostin got up from her post to address the situation.EW.com, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
The best vanilla perfumes are wildly underrated in their versatility.Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Tierra Whack – World Wide Whack Tierra Whack’s wildly original 2018 mixtape Whack World was a brief but memorable debut, speeding through 15 songs in 15 minutes.Al Shipley, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
On a recent night, the Syrian American activist is in a hurry to get on the road.Claire Harbage, NPR, 17 Dec. 2024
-
That salary could triple in a hurry once the pitcher becomes eligible for arbitration.Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Sadly, New York Magazine displayed no such judgment in its reckless headlong pursuit of publishing a salacious, attention-grabbing article, no matter the truth.Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
-
The show’s vibrant aesthetic and period pop score, meanwhile, provide a nostalgia trip to the early 2000s — while not shying away from what the era’s headlong embrace of social media did to our grasp on collective truth.Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
During a dinner banquet later the same day, Belousov said the two countries’ strategic partnership was crucial to defend their sovereignty from aggression and the arbitrary actions of imperialists, North Korean state media said.Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
-
After Leung's sentencing, the U.S. recommended -- though without citing specific cases -- that Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to helter-skelter
Thesaurus Entries Near helter-skelter
Cite this Entry
“Helter-skelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helter-skelter. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share