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Definitions

helter-skelter

[hel-ter-skel-ter] / ˈhɛl tərˈskɛl tər /
ADJECTIVE
with undue hurry and confusion
Synonyms
STRONGEST
chaotic haphazard hurried
WEAK
arbitrary carelessly confused disorderly hastily hit or miss hurry-scurry in disorder random recklessly slapdash
Antonyms
STRONGEST
organized systematic
ADVERB
carelessly, confused
Synonyms
STRONGEST
haphazard headlong jumbled
WEAK
about any which way anyhow anywise around at random cluttered disorderly hastily higgledy-piggledy hit-or-miss hotfoot hurriedly impetuously in confusion incautiously incontinently irregular muddled pell-mell random randomly rashly recklessly topsy-turvy tumultuously unmindfully wildly
Antonyms
WEAK
carefully methodical organized straight systematic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Challambra Hill climb before the final helter-skelter dash to the finish.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

This was a helter-skelter day, the breathless cricket picking up from the previous time these sides met on this ground - New Zealand's classic one-run victory at the beginning of last year.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024

In the contemporary, helter-skelter sweep of Mexico City, there is one place — in the southern borough of Xochimilco — where a vision of a watery, pre-Columbian capital may still be imagined.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024

That helter-skelter transition threw much of the economics of entertainment out of whack.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2023

Tables and chairs lay helter-skelter, our dishes broken to bits, everything we owned scrambled and strewn across the floor.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.