haywire
Americannoun
adjective
-
in disorder.
The town is haywire because of the bus strike.
-
out of control; disordered; crazy.
The car went haywire. He's been haywire since he got the bad news.
adjective
-
(of things) not functioning properly; disorganized (esp in the phrase go haywire )
-
(of people) erratic or crazy
Etymology
Origin of haywire
Explanation
When something goes haywire, it's out of control or completely chaotic. You'll sense that things have gone haywire at a birthday party if suddenly the young guests are having a crazed water gun fight indoors. A riot is an extreme example of things going haywire, when people get angry enough about something that they ignore rules and laws, breaking windows and setting things on fire. A less serious case of things gone haywire could be a flock of chickens escaping an enclosure, running loose in your vegetable garden. The literal, and original, meaning of haywire is "wire used to bind hay." The wire's "springy unpredictability" led to today's common definition.
Vocabulary lists containing haywire
The Lost Hero
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This Week In Words: March 14–20, 2020
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Crossing the Wire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Your mind plays all kinds of tricks on you when geopolitical events go haywire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
"The place where the chats went haywire was exactly when Gemini was upgraded to have persistent memory" and more sophisticated dialogues, Jay Edelson, the lead lawyer for the case, told AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
The plunge in stocks — by about 30% in less than three weeks — sent their portfolio balances haywire.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025
But first, they share their latest triumphs and fails, where a day off for Lucy’s daughter goes haywire, Zak enjoys a peaceful morning, and Elizabeth learns about Italy’s bus system the hard way.
From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025
“Merlin’s beard,” Moody whispered, staring at the map, his magical eye going haywire.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
