1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
when the theater doors opened, there was a pell-mell rush for the best seats
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
pell-mell piles of books everywhere in the professor's library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
tossed stuff pell-mell into the dorm room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
ran pell-mell down the road to get help
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pell-mell
Nicolas Rapold, airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Abe and Mary are part Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, part George and Martha, part the old vaudevillians George Burns and Gracie Allen, all running together pell-mell toward the Copacabana.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024
Its unreformed economy is in secular decline, while its pell-mell effort to modernize its armed forces and take strategic initiative has revived NATO, terrified Russia’s formerly pro-Russian neighbors, and put off much of the world.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2016
Administration officials don’t see this situation as similar to October 2022, when the intelligence community saw a significant possibility Putin might use tactical nuclear weapons to avert a collapse of Russia’s front lines in Ukraine and prevent a pell-mell retreat.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Ultimately, the more naturalistic second half — which has a realistic set with chairs and tables, delivered in a clunky black-out transition by intrusive stagehands — gets as sharp and loud as the pell-mell sounds-and-lights first half.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2024
Only a few of them stopped with remainder racing pell-mell through the intersection as approaching cars on Charles braked abruptly.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
Ministry is not nearly as proficient as Chad Stahelski’s John Wick 4 or Matthias Schweighöfer’s Army of Thieves, but the pell-mell combat scenes are consistently cartoonish.
—Armond White, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
America saw a pell-mell downsizing of gas-guzzling vehicles and a simultaneous ramping up of imports of fuel-efficient Japanese cars.
—Jim Krane, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023
Adverb
People ran pell-mell outside, sped away in cars with no clear destination, went to church, or just phoned the police or radio station to hyperventilate.
—Nicolas Rapold, airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Abe and Mary are part Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, part George and Martha, part the old vaudevillians George Burns and Gracie Allen, all running together pell-mell toward the Copacabana.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024
Its unreformed economy is in secular decline, while its pell-mell effort to modernize its armed forces and take strategic initiative has revived NATO, terrified Russia’s formerly pro-Russian neighbors, and put off much of the world.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2016
Administration officials don’t see this situation as similar to October 2022, when the intelligence community saw a significant possibility Putin might use tactical nuclear weapons to avert a collapse of Russia’s front lines in Ukraine and prevent a pell-mell retreat.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Ultimately, the more naturalistic second half — which has a realistic set with chairs and tables, delivered in a clunky black-out transition by intrusive stagehands — gets as sharp and loud as the pell-mell sounds-and-lights first half.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2024
Only a few of them stopped with remainder racing pell-mell through the intersection as approaching cars on Charles braked abruptly.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
Ministry is not nearly as proficient as Chad Stahelski’s John Wick 4 or Matthias Schweighöfer’s Army of Thieves, but the pell-mell combat scenes are consistently cartoonish.
—Armond White, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
America saw a pell-mell downsizing of gas-guzzling vehicles and a simultaneous ramping up of imports of fuel-efficient Japanese cars.
—Jim Krane, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pell-mell
Adjective
-
Photography by Christopher Lee Every morning taquerias throughout San Antonio fill with construction workers, nurses in scrubs, college students, and hurried families, all finding salvation in an iconic staple: the breakfast taco.—
Edmund Tijerina,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
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Macron has taken a leading role in Europe's push to keep Trump from cutting a hurried deal to end the Ukraine war that legitimizes Vladimir Putin and rewards the Russian invasion.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA TODAY,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Critics call them a chaotic attack that will have lasting impacts on America.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Tkachuk brothers’ offense generation The Tkachuk brothers are well known for their innate ability to generate chances thanks to their chaotic playstyle and affinity for going to the dirty areas.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
The most devastating testimony came from Auschwitz survivors, one of whom described the mortal terror of people in the gas chambers, some taking 10 or more minutes to die, struggling frantically, their corpses covered in blood from their noses and ears.—
Gary J. Bass,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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Surveillance footage, the arrest affidavit says, showed Mary frantically seeking help as Nathan chased her with a gun — while the couple’s 4-year-old daughter was behind him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
18 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
On Monday, European leaders hastily assembled in Paris to discuss plans for peace in Ukraine after they were left out of U.S.-led talks, due to begin Tuesday, between Washington and Moscow on the near three-years Russia-Ukraine war.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Either way, tariffs have been hastily implemented, causing global anxiety.—
Emily Forlini,
PCMAG,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of uncertainty about which star could win the women’s Elimination Chamber, but even with some messy booking muddying the women’s division, one outcome in Toronto makes the most sense.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Cotton: She’s owned the fact that some of her gameplay was quite messy.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
Carson Soucy’s rebound After a rock-steady first season with the Canucks, defenseman Carson Soucy has been wildly inconsistent this season and has found himself on the trade block.—
Thomas Drance,
The Athletic,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The proud Cuban champion was wildly disrespected coming into the fight.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The finale 45 seconds are a headlong rush of hectic imagery, including Anima pouring gas in a home as if to torch it as Abel gets more and more freaked out by the chaos around him.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
4 Feb. 2025
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That a hedge fund can revolutionize the AI world seemingly overnight highlights the importance of assuring the headlong rush forward includes behavioral expectations and guardrails.—
Tom Wheeler,
TIME,
30 Jan. 2025
Adverb
-
All of it wild-caught.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
orlandosentinel.com,
14 Aug. 2020
-
Our first stop is in a wild-looking stretch 200 yards south of the railroad tracks and State Street.—
Paul A. Smith,
Journal Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Pell-mell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pell-mell. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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