1
a
: a state of utter confusion
the blackout caused chaos throughout the city
b
: a confused mass or mixture
a chaos of television antennas
2
a
often capitalized
: a state of things in which chance is supreme
especially
: the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms compare cosmos
b
: the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (such as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
Examples of chaos in a Sentence
The loss of electricity caused chaos throughout the city.
When the police arrived, the street was in total chaos.
The country had descended into economic chaos.
Recent Examples on the Web
These days, the meaning of the holiday is that chaos.
—
Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
This continuing resolution codifies much of this chaos that Elon Musk is wreaking havoc on the federal government.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
Only Rob, the youngest of the Ford siblings, grew up relatively insulated from the family’s chaos, although his turn would come.
—Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
And the frenzy around the booth, and the juxtaposition of that with the cuts happening across the government—from USAID to food safety to local food for schools, and the chaos that has ensued—was a lot to take in.
—Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaos
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Cite this Entry
“Chaos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaos. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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