helter-skelter 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of helter-skelternext
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

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2
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern papers, books, and unopened mail were stacked helter-skelter on the desk

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helter-skelter

2 of 3

adverb

ˌhel-tər-ˈskel-tər How to pronounce helter-skelter (audio)
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

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2
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method goods arranged helter-skelter on the shelves of the variety store

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helter-skelter

3 of 3

noun

as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity in the helter-skelter at the amusement park the child got separated from his parents

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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 helter-skelter
Adjective
The helter-skelter run down the line. — Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026 The opening quarter-hour produced a fast but helter-skelter showing. — The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
Adverb
His mouth is closed and fixed in a humorless grin, concealing the eating machine within eight rows of long, hollow teeth arranged helter-skelter in each rank like thorns on a dead rose. — Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025 And, with seven defensive backs plus linebacker Tremaine Edmunds protecting the end zone, Jarrett found himself in the middle of a helter-skelter three-man rush. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for helter-skelter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helter-skelter
  1. hurried
  2. random
  3. frantically
  4. randomly
  5. commotion
  6. rushed
  7. scattered
  8. wildly
Adjective
  • But for some reason the powers that be have decreed artificial intelligence a civilizational imperative, requiring the hurried construction of swarms of data centers, on Earth and in space.
    — Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
  • Right now, decisions are being made in a hurried, contradictory fashion.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of hurried
Adjective
  • Luka Dončić got traded at midnight on a random Saturday in February.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death.
    — Sarah M.S. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of random
Adverb
  • Jessica Gonzalez hustles behind her booth at the recent Renegade Craft Fair, frantically ringing up sales, answering questions and packaging her beeswax candles.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • For five days Oswadeliz Núñez Ramírez has been frantically searching for her son across hospitals in La Guaira and Caracas.
    — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Definition of frantically
Adverb
  • These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Iran got a midfielder from Germany when his aunt, a television and film star in Tehran, randomly posted a family photo on social media.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026
Definition of randomly
Noun
  • With some flashing lights, this thing flying around in the sky would cause quite a commotion.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 2 July 2026
  • Any browns feeding there are less likely to have been spooked by the commotion.
    — Tom Opre, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
Definition of commotion
Adjective
  • Instead, Mahan and his wealthy Silicon Valley backers talked themselves into a rushed and premature campaign that was never remotely competitive.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • As immigration officers arrested her six weeks ago, through tears and a rushed goodbye, Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez had a request for her daughter.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of rushed
Adjective
  • The right conversation could turn scattered effort into a working plan.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
  • If your data is messy, scattered or stale, the AI output fails.
    — Sagi Eliyahu, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of scattered
Adverb
  • As Egypt celebrated wildly, referee François Letexier went to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) screen to look at a foul that may have occurred in the buildup.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Marfan syndrome is particularly mysterious because members of a family who carry the same exact mutation can have wildly different health trajectories, Catherine Boileau, a geneticist at the French health research institution INSERM, told me.
    — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of wildly

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helter-skelter
helter-skelters
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Cite this Entry

“Helter-skelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helter-skelter. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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