as in scattered
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
since we were new in town, our choice of a vet for our dog was entirely random
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of random
Police have stressed the shooting was not a random attack on a place of worship but rather the result of a dispute between individuals arguing outside the building.
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Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
In doing so, despite CTA crime being down along the city’s rail system, the administration invoked the apparently random attack against a 26-year-old woman who was set on fire while riding a Blue Line train in November.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds players that scratch-offs are distributed at random and neither the lottery nor the retailer knows where winning tickets will be sold.
—Patrick Damp, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Police also do not believe the shooting was random.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for random
Recent Examples of Synonyms for random
Adjective
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Its fractured, scattered form, grasping for structure instead of pretending to master it, is an attempt to build a future that will include both author and reader.—
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On Sunday, rain will pick up across the Midwest from Kansas and Missouri through Ohio and Pennsylvania while scattered thunderstorms are possible from Arkansas up to Ohio, with some possibly strong enough to bring gusty winds and maybe an isolated tornado.—
Adjective
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The National Police has been repeatedly cited by national and international human rights organizations for excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, and the mistreatment of protesters and civilians.—
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Critics say those distinctions are arbitrary and unfair, being based on outdated assumptions and bad science.—
Adjective
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These large waves can be erratic and unpredictable.—
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The addiction eventually took its toll, and Chase became more erratic and difficult to work with.—
Adjective
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Policing organizations such as the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have recommended similar limits, warning that shooting at vehicles creates serious risks from stray gunfire or from a vehicle crashing if the driver is hit.—
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His surveillance video showed a man fixing a car outside the store when he was apparently hit by the stray bullet.—
Adjective
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Elvyn Yohel Ramos Routt County Investigators also said Ramos filed an insurance claim reporting the fire as accidental.—
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In another show, with a lesser writer, such incongruities could be read as character inconsistencies, accidental oversights, mistakes.—
Cite this Entry
“Random.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/random. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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