awry 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈrī How to pronounce awry (audio)
Definition of awrynext
as in uneven
inclined or twisted to one side the shutters that still remained on the run-down old house were all awry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

awry

2 of 2

adverb

ə-ˈrī How to pronounce awry (audio)
as in wrong
off the desired or intended path or course their plans for an outdoor wedding went awry when they got a freak hailstorm the night before

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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 awry
Adjective
Jesus’ crucifixion, in Wright’s telling, becomes yet another instance of justice gone awry. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Should something go awry, the swap would compensate the buyer. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026 The palm was still there, cracked in its roots, leaning at a crazy angle, its top awry. — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 Set in Paris over the course of a night, the film stars Moreau and Maurice Ronet as lovers who set out to murder her husband and his boss (played by Jean Wall), only for the plan to go awry. — Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 In Spaceship Earth, when a mission to avert an imminent global cataclysm goes awry, a small band of teenagers from Earth’s past and future must join forces to confront a threat as vast and mysterious as time itself. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 Pike’s was the third Tennessee execution in 14 months to go awry. — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026 After things go awry in the Congo, the family in The Poisonwood Bible dissolves readily. — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 The Chiefs were poised to take a lead into halftime of their game Sunday against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas when things went awry. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awry
  1. uneven
  2. wrong
  3. tilted
  4. badly
  5. crooked
  6. oblique
Adjective
  • The brand's signature technology combines a retinoid with lactic acid to smooth fine lines, uneven tone, and rough texture, and its AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads take things a step further.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026
  • These accounts often waive monthly fees without a minimum balance and offer larger transaction or cash deposit allowances, since nonprofits may see uneven cash flow tied to grant cycles and fundraising.
    — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneven
Adverb
  • Every task a person hands to an agent is another chance for something to go wrong.
    — Anat Lior, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Forecasting the Field Voters got this category wrong last year — Tyler Childers’ Snipe Hunter should have taken the win over Jelly Roll.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Carl lowers his head like a hitter hit by a pitch, then rouses himself and breaks into a stiff, elderly trot, shooting a salute over at whoever’s inside the tilted little guard hut.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The tilted surfaces were mostly chosen to mimic raindrops in the real world.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tilted
Adverb
  • Photos show the badly charred facility was filled with potentially explosive equipment and moonshine ingredients, including propane tanks.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This hint of connection between them is later made concrete when, at the demonstration, the two are complicit in an act of defiance — throwing a cobblestone at a policeman, badly injuring him — and must skip town for the night.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of badly
Adjective
  • Finding no legal recourse in a city with a crooked police department and judiciary, Matt gives in to despair.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Others convicted in relation to the robbery included Brian Reader, a career criminal who was involved in other high-profile robberies before and after Brink’s-Mat, crooked solicitor Michael Relton, and McAvoy’s wife, Kathleen.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of crooked
Adjective
  • Rookie Cameron Carr is out and day-to-day because of a right oblique strain.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Lakers were without new guard Collin Sexton (calf) and first-round pick Cameron Carr (oblique), and swingman Jake LaRavia left the court limping in the fourth quarter.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of oblique

Browse Nearby Words

AWOL
awry
aw-shucks
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Cite this Entry

“Awry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awry. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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