havoc 1 of 2

noun

ˈha-vək How to pronounce havoc (audio)
Definition of havocnext
1
as in hell
a state in which everything is out of order computer network problems created havoc throughout the office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless the powerful hurricane wreaked havoc all along the coast

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havoc

2 of 2

verb

as in to ravage

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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 havoc
Noun
Deleting a second has never previously been attempted and could create havoc in today’s digitally time-stamped world. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 It’s led creatives to walk a tricky line between the wish to experiment with AI and the havoc disclosing its use can wreak. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls. — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026 Even after hours of fast traveling, horseback riding, and slowly jogging from point A to point B, there were more quests to find, gear to loot, and havoc to wreak. — PC Magazine, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for havoc
Recent Examples of Synonyms for havoc
  1. hell
  2. devastation
  3. ravage
  4. chaos
  5. destruction
  6. plunder
  7. mess
  8. loss
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 magnitude of the devastation is made personal for all of us.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The painting is named after a Paul Celan poem about the losses and devastation of the Holocaust.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastation
Verb
  • Archaeologists in England have uncovered new remains at one of the country's oldest and largest medieval leprosy hospitals, hundreds of years after the disease ravaged communities across Britain.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The places where Baltzor typically ranges her cattle in the mountains were ravaged by record-size wildfires this summer, robbing them of the grass the herds usually eat.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ravage
Noun
  • Rather than chasing fancy titles or splashy paychecks throughout her career, she’s gravitated toward jobs that pushed her out of her comfort zone, forced her to take risks, and taught her to embrace a little chaos.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading ⦠WAKE-UP CALL â France's riot chaos fuels warning that mass immigration failures could haunt another country.
    — , FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • About 90% of the city was flooded ​following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, according to the White House.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The suspect, 27-year-old Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano of Stafford, Virginia, has been charged with felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage, and felony injury to a monument, court records show.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of destruction
Verb
  • Social media posts and merchant reports said luxury and beauty stores, including Sephora, Celine, Burberry and Louis Vuitton, were plundered.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • As noted recently by Deadline, other Chinese AI models continue to plunder IP, including MiniMax H3, which generated videos that violated studio brand safety standards 55% of the time when an image was used in a prompt.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of plunder
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
  • Fifth-year cornerback Jaden Mickey made some big stops, including a pass breakup, while the defensive front produced four sacks for 37 yards and seven tackles for loss.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
  • After scoring just four points on six field-goal attempts in Friday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, Adebayo was much more aggressive in looking for his own offense on Saturday.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of loss

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Cite this Entry

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

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