at random

Idioms  

1. Without order or fixed purpose, haphazardly, as in Jackson Pollock dropped paints on canvas seemingly at random. Originally this phrase meant “very speedily” and “heedlessly.” Shakespeare had the present usage in 1 Henry VI (5:3): “He talks at random; sure the man is mad.” [Late 1500s]

---

Example Sentences

Picking a game at random, the cheapest tickets I could find for the match between England and Ghana in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on June 20 were about $750 each.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

But let's be frank: Fiona Bruce and Question Time weren't in Ashton-in-Makerfield at random and Andy Burnham doesn't suffer from a deficit of ambition.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Wolf kills aren't distributed at random, Loretto said, occurring more often on flatter terrain or in open valleys where chases are more likely.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

In these "RCTs," participants are assigned at random to different groups.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

Sometimes I chose—I like the Psalms and Ecclesiastes—and sometimes I just opened it at random.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

Related Words

• aimlessly
• frantically
• indiscriminately
• instinctively
• madly
• wildly