chaos

noun

ˈkā-ˌäs How to pronounce chaos (audio)
Definition of chaosnext
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order the boy's room is in such chaos that it looks as though a tornado had struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 chaos This was not what Giannis Antetokounmpo signed up for, standing as a one-man show while chaos reigned all around. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Cruelty and chaos have become hallmarks of this administration. — Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Over the past few days, French cities have been thrown into chaos as hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets calling for more spending on public services and expressing discontent over high costs of living. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026 The Dodgers aren’t the Dodgers without Ohtani creating chaos at the top of the order. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chaos
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaos
  1. havoc
  2. mess
  3. jumble
  4. confusion
  5. hell
  6. disorder
Noun
  • The Heat’s defense created havoc, forcing the Hawks into 15 turnovers.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Amid the havoc, the children flee into an enclosure, their teacher slamming the door from the outside.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home.
    — MEAD GRUVER, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • General manager Les Snead is also culpable for this mess of a season, trading for Myles Garrett, who has done absolutely zero for this team.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Noun
  • Almeida said Election Day confusion is possible in some precincts but the nature of the threat requires a collective effort.
    — STEVE PEOPLES, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Lula’s victory followed confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered a last-minute, two-hour extension of voting nationwide.
    — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • The careerist has also made life hell for Erika and her family.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Time is running out for a Republican Party led astray by a president whose treacherous behavior mimics those assigned to the lowest level of Dante’s hell.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • The progressive nervous system disorder affects more than a million Americans.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Research has shown that the therapeutic use of horseback riding can improve balance and coordination in people who have neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, and lessen the symptoms for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
    — Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of disorder

Browse Nearby Words

chants
chaos
chaoses
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Cite this Entry

“Chaos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaos. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chaos

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chaos

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