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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Time, 12 June 2025
The team should have declined, should have been more deliberate about its approach to the horses, the scrumming together, the picking up of the dummy goat, but instead the guys flew into action like true American cowboys: headlong and about to get hurt.
—Will Grant, Outside Online, 11 June 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
During the 1980s, federal housing efforts ran headlong into a rising conservative movement, led by President Ronald Reagan.
—Time, 12 June 2025
The team should have declined, should have been more deliberate about its approach to the horses, the scrumming together, the picking up of the dummy goat, but instead the guys flew into action like true American cowboys: headlong and about to get hurt.
—Will Grant, Outside Online, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong
Adjective
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After a hurried recovery period in his upstate hospital, Dexter heads to New York City, where his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) has moved.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 July 2025
-
Here’s how Kansas and Missouri representatives and senators voted in the hurried push to pass President Trump’s massive, controversial spending bill.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
9 July 2025
Adverb
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Trading him would also open a roster spot for one of the Sox's deadline additions, although it shouldn't be done hastily.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Their reactions quickly went viral, with Byron immediately ducking out of frame and Cabot hastily covering her face before turning her back to escape the frame.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 July 2025
Adverb
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The profit boost tokens can immediately be used for bets up to $25 on other fights.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 July 2025
-
Homicide Unit detectives are investigating the shooting, and a police spokesperson did not immediately describe details or announce an arrest.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 July 2025
Adverb
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In February, President Donald Trump made an aggressive push to reshape the Kennedy Center by firing its leader, naming a longtime confidant as interim executive director, dismissing board members appointed by Democrats and then appointing his own trustees who promptly elected him as chair.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
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Follow evacuation orders: If local authorities issue an evacuation order, heed it promptly.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Merz, 69, is impulsive, prickly under pressure and occasionally leans into populist bluster.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
26 June 2025
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Unlike reckless risk-taking, which is impulsive and uninformed, calculated risk should be strategic and intentional.—
Vikram Joshi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adverb
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For many of us, the smell or taste of a specific recipe can instantly transport us back in time.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 July 2025
-
And while those cocktails usually have rum, how perfectly tiki for a gin cocktail to show up wearing a rum cocktail’s clothes, and to be instantly accepted by the community, and raised as one of their own.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Aybar-Berroa also has a criminal history in New York City that includes arrests for second-degree reckless endangerment in May 2023 and fourth-degree felony grand larceny and petit larceny in March and April 2024, officials said.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
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He is charged with two counts of first-degree reckless homicide as a party to a crime in the teens' shooting deaths.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
Adverb
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My ultimate goal is to help people feel a sense of wellness, and these ingredients directly nourish that.—
Kirby Adams,
The Courier-Journal,
23 July 2025
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When Lucero objected, the supervisor placed the phone with the images directly in front of Lucero’s face and led colleagues in ridiculing Lucero, the lawsuit said.—
Alexandra Hardle,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headlong. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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