as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immediately
without delay
had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headlong
Howard Copenhaver, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2025
While no supporter — surely — would swap any of that frenetic, headlong decade for Tottenham’s inert version of stability, glory becomes addictive.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
The Rams are about to dive headlong into a transitional, transformative phase.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Adjective
My yell must have startled him for a second or two, and my headlong rush kept him off balance just long enough.
—Howard Copenhaver, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2025
While no supporter — surely — would swap any of that frenetic, headlong decade for Tottenham’s inert version of stability, glory becomes addictive.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Adverb
In recent months, the fight over the minimum wage has run headlong into the crisis over the city budget, which relies each year on more than $300 million in hotel tax revenue to pay for basic services such as police, firefighters and paramedics.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
The Rams are about to dive headlong into a transitional, transformative phase.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong
Adjective
-
My Dien is a hurried cluster that has grown up ad hoc, with buildings of varying sizes rising like reeds from a fertile swamp.—
Damien Cave,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
This comes as the Trump administration has faced growing criticisms for its hurried proceedings to remove as many noncitizens from the country as quickly as possible.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Her team hastily designed a sliding-scale lockdown system.—
Rachel Morris,
New Yorker,
5 June 2025
-
Wonder how many Lake County lawmakers actually read this document that received little public review and was hastily adopted in the last 48 hours of the session?—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adverb
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Fraser might’ve noticed immediately that the bags simply weren’t following behind the guests and the captain.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 June 2025
-
When Crosby was finally ready to go, Tsamis signed him and immediately put him into a pressure situation.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Adverb
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Even a minor issue can escalate into a major reputational disaster if it’s not handled promptly and transparently.—
Valentina Drofa,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
As Kagan said in court on Thursday, the Mexican government might have had a good theory, but U.S cities brought similar suits in the early 2000s, and Congress promptly passed a law shielding gun manufacturers from lawsuits stemming from the criminal use of a firearm by a third party.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Although bad things do happen to him, they are often caused by his own careless and impulsive nature.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Move slowly and be careful about impulsive ideas and actions.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 May 2025
Adverb
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Not that anyone should speculate on people’s race, but this is the modern internet, and unfortunately Arabella Stanton is instantly being put under a microscope for…looking mildly not white?—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
The lightweight, oil-free cream sinks in effortlessly, instantly soothing skin with a refreshing dose of prebiotic thermal water and barrier-repairing ceramides.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
Keep an open mind, as an erratic square between Mars and Uranus on June 15 could shake things up in unpredictable ways and result in some reckless behavior.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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The girl’s 47-year-old stepmom is charged with child endangerment and reckless endangerment by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle, Shelby County court records show.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
Adverb
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In addition to UnitedHealth Group, the lawsuit named Chief Executive Andrew Witty and Chief Financial Officer John Rex as co-defendants, alleging they were directly involved in the dissemination of misleading information to investors during the affected period.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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These private ventures could benefit directly from crypto-friendly legislation and the executive orders emerging from Washington.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headlong. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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