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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
The storms have caused flooding, havoc and devastation in several parts of Chile. — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 So where does this rank among the wackiest havoc ever wreaked by domes on innocent baseballs? — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 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 band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Searching for Wendy in the depths of the Sephora store, Stan watches his surroundings shift from slightly off, to off, to get-me-the-hell-out-of-here off.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • The devastation spread on a sunny, calm weekend without warning.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Most of the new songs wrestle with how to seek pleasure while remaining hyperaware of the devastations of the world, and how that tension can make happiness itself feel like a vice.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastation
Verb
  • Swarms of police officers and ambulances racing to the grounds of a school ravaged by gunfire has become a familiar scene, and one that represents only the beginning of incalculable pain, loss and trauma.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For more than 50 years, the house remained vacant, was ravaged by fire, and fell into complete disrepair.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ravage
Noun
  • At an intersection in Hyde Park that, days earlier, had been the scene of chaos — a young girl on the ground, a car with a teenage boy on the windshield, a mother screaming — Jonathan Hale led his band of rebels.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The banquet hall was total chaos, packed with people who shoved their way toward the front, trying to bribe the hostess for a table with red envelopes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • The end of saving money and raising middle-class wages justifies the means, namely, the destruction of immigrant families.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The destruction releases vast stores of carbon, adding to climate change that is already contributing to drought and forest fires across the tropics.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of destruction
Verb
  • 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
  • But there is very little archaeological evidence available, given that many of the earliest Egyptian tombs were plundered and/or hastily excavated.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of plunder
Noun
  • But the mess took a turn when the Guardians announced a slight change in the tickets for the game.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The entirety of the toppings tumble off the dog with the first bite, but the mess is worth it.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • If the answer is yes, the efficiency gain may be a competitive loss in disguise.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The British Antarctic Survey researchers emphasize that future losses could be exacerbated if emissions are not reduced.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of loss

Browse Nearby Words

having to do with
havoc
havocked
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Cite this Entry

“Havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/havoc. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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