HIT-AND-MISS Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

hit-and-miss

adjective

Definition of hit-and-miss

as in haphazard

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 hit-and-miss Drew Allar, Penn State Allar has prototypical size, tantalizing arm strength and… well, hit-and-miss production. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026 Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond was more hit-and-miss, and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden had little impact other than letting punts bounce for extra yards time after time. — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026 But overall, styling is hit-and-miss on this one in my humble opinion. — New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026 And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hit-and-miss

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit-and-miss

Adjective

However, industry leaders caution against haphazard AI adoption, emphasizing that strategic, disciplined implementation is crucial to avoid significant financial pitfalls.

— Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Communication with employees about the requirement to move to new offices has been haphazard, workers at six agencies said.

— Chiara Eisner, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of haphazard

Adjective

This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.

— Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
One episode explores several years in the life of a random Jason variant who simply tries to build a life for himself in a quiet world.

— Andrew Webster, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of random

Adjective

Factor in stubbornly high inflation, sluggish wage growth and a hit-or-miss job market, and many Americans below the very top of the income scale are feeling a lot poorer these days.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
As for Robert De Niro, the legendary actor doesn’t always take legendary roles these days, and his recent history is very hit-or-miss.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of hit-or-miss

Adjective

These story lines add a sense of urgency and progress to a series that was a little too comfortable being amiably aimless.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
In any case, the burgeoning Cruz-Josie relationship should make for a welcome change-up in relationship drama from the endless and, at this point, aimless Joe-Neal domestic saga.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of aimless

Adjective

Can anything more than the most desultory gesture at a novel emerge while these questions go unanswered?

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, whose administration was widely assailed for its desultory initial response, has made high-profile appearances in La Guaira.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of desultory

Adjective

While some of the color contrasts do articulate planar shifts, such as the candy-stripe lips (red for upper, pink for lower), many of the touches are arbitrary splotches that neither bolster a shape nor set another off.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
The choices of what to put in each episode — and when to cut from one timeline to another — have sometimes felt arbitrary, and have often disrupted the story’s overall flow.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

In 1988, 27-year-old Japanese American graphic artist Karen Toshima was killed by a stray bullet during a gang confrontation on Broxton Avenue, shocking Angelenos who had treated gun violence as a problem largely confined to poor parts of the city.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Contact your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood.

— Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of stray

Browse Nearby Words

hit

hit-and-miss

hit-and-run

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hit-and-miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit-and-miss. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hit-and-miss

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

recalcitrant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes