awry 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈrī How to pronounce awry (audio)
Definition of awrynext
as in uneven
inclined or twisted to one side the shutters that still remained on the run-down old house were all awry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

awry

2 of 2

adverb

ə-ˈrī How to pronounce awry (audio)
as in wrong
off the desired or intended path or course their plans for an outdoor wedding went awry when they got a freak hailstorm the night before

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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 awry
Adjective
When their plan goes horribly awry, the couple is parted once again. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 Officials for both countries said no trade deal had been reached late last Friday, with both sides pointing fingers at the other for reasons why the talks went awry. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026 Everyone in the car already seems to sense it even before this particular ride goes awry. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 His clubhouse presence and offensive output have carried the Nats thus far, and if the decision goes awry, both could be disrupted by the public nature of the in-season move. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 To this day, conspiracy theories alleging that Jonestown was a CIA mind-control experiment gone awry find favor across the internet. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 ProPublica reconstructed how the project went awry through interviews with 36 current and former employees of General Dynamics, the Army, the Pentagon and the White House. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026 To show how this combination of conditions can go awry, Elliott refers to the SFBC International scandal in 2006. — Angus Chen, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Spider-Man’s web-shooting capabilities have gone awry. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awry
  1. uneven
  2. wrong
  3. tilted
  4. badly
  5. crooked
  6. oblique
Adjective
  • That is an unusually light amount of in-game preparation for a second-year quarterback learning a new offense, especially since Dart and the offense have had an uneven summer at best.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Together, these findings pointed to uneven conditions beneath the road.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of uneven
Adverb
  • The north Londoners took the lead in the first half through £100million ($134m) summer signing Sandro Tonali, whose effort from outside the box deflected off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill and wrong-footed goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • One error was a forecast that proved wrong; the other was a refusal to act on evidence already in view.
    — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • But analysts say risks to oil prices remain tilted to the upside.
    — , CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Compared with tilted plastic rafts used in warmer climates, this design attaches flexible solar panels directly to thick, waterproof foam sheets, reducing wind exposure.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
Definition of tilted
Adverb
  • But the Vuelta a España’s hiring of a female influencer, whose social media content centers on flirting with male strangers, has backfired badly.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Iran-contra scandal in the mid-1980s badly tarnished Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy record.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of badly
Adjective
  • Cowin soon shifted to straighter technical methods applied to crooked storylines.
    — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, there are crooked cops on the inside trying to spring El Chapo, so the arresting officers need to quickly figure out who to trust.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of crooked
Adjective
  • Summary The Chicago Cubs are currently shuffling their infield due to Dansby Swanson's oblique injury, moving Nico Hoerner to shortstop and Pedro Ramírez to second base.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • There was the oblique strain in early April that sidelined him for more than a month.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of oblique

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aw-shucks
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Cite this Entry

“Awry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awry. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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