LIVE WIRE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

live wire

noun

Definition of live wire

as in pistol

a very energetic person the babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in powerhouse

an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired that new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 live wire Response efforts were slowed as debris blocked roads and live wires created hazardous conditions. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 July 2026 Trees and branches were taken out, and live wires went down. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 My daughter has been a live wire since she was born. — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 7 May 2026 One of the brothers used a carbon-fibre pole while attempting to get the bird down and touched the live wires on the power line, killing him instantly. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for live wire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for live wire

Noun

State police later found that Elliott-Guillory does not possess a valid pistol permit in Connecticut.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
The suspect was a woman who was armed with a black, semi-automatic pistol and fled the scene in a black Jeep sport utility vehicle.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of pistol

Noun

The theater quickly turned into a West Coast powerhouse, producing trailblazing work, including the plays of Brecht, Beckett and Pinter.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Before Game 1 of the NLCS was played, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold was asked about the premise of small market teams like Milwaukee not being able to compete with powerhouse franchises like Los Angeles and the two teams in New York.

— Isaac Tellechea, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of powerhouse

Noun

And, not surprisingly, Coach Mike, the butterfly dynamo, gets the last word.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Kantserov is a bona fide star on the rise, the KHL’s leading scorer at just 22 years old, a 5-foot-9 dynamo of skill and strength and enthusiasm.

— Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dynamo

Browse Nearby Words

live up to

live wire

live wires

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Style

“Live wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/live%20wire. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of live wire

noun

Example Sentences

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