1
a
: a state of utter confusion
the blackout caused chaos throughout the city
b
: a confused mass or mixture
a chaos of television antennas
2
a
often capitalized
: a state of things in which chance is supreme
especially
: the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms compare cosmos
b
: the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (such as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
Synonyms
Examples of chaos in a Sentence
The loss of electricity caused chaos throughout the city.
When the police arrived, the street was in total chaos.
The country had descended into economic chaos.
Recent Examples on the Web
Get ready for non-stop assassin action as chaos ensues in the ordinary (and not-so-ordinary) life of Sakamoto and his comrades!
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
For all the nighttime bustle on display — the heave of people, the constant activity and chaos — Kapadia shoots with a flair for the illusory.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
For all the chaos and trolling in the room on election night, what soon becomes clear is that the vibe in VR reflects the outside world.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Nov. 2024
And thanks to the Heritage Foundation and the America First Institute, there will be plenty of chaos agents for whom destroying the existing system of national security policymaking, which has preserved American interests for 80 years, will be a feature of Trump 2.0, not a bug.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaos 
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Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
For all the nighttime bustle on display — the heave of people, the constant activity and chaos — Kapadia shoots with a flair for the illusory.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
For all the chaos and trolling in the room on election night, what soon becomes clear is that the vibe in VR reflects the outside world.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Nov. 2024
And thanks to the Heritage Foundation and the America First Institute, there will be plenty of chaos agents for whom destroying the existing system of national security policymaking, which has preserved American interests for 80 years, will be a feature of Trump 2.0, not a bug.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaos
Dictionary Entries Near chaos
Cite this Entry
“Chaos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaos. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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