1
: wide and general destruction : devastation
A tornado wreaked havoc on the town two years ago.
2
: great confusion and disorder
the blackout caused havoc in the city
Synonyms
Examples of havoc in a Sentence
Noun
The disease can play havoc with the body's immune system.
Several small children can create havoc in a house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 June 2024
That should not be altogether surprising given the havoc the pandemic played on the world’s education system and the lives of young people during formative years.
—Lz Granderson, The Mercury News, 22 June 2024
But a debris-generating event doesn’t need to involve massive objects to create havoc.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 14 June 2024
Fighting a family affair While Colgan finished up a recent workout with something that resembled headstand pushups, wife Teslin smiled as the couple’s sons Quentin (three) and Kanan (one) caused havoc on an adjacent wrestling mat.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 16 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for havoc 
Noun
The storms and devastating conditions caused havoc throughout the state all weekend.
—Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 June 2024
That should not be altogether surprising given the havoc the pandemic played on the world’s education system and the lives of young people during formative years.
—Lz Granderson, The Mercury News, 22 June 2024
But a debris-generating event doesn’t need to involve massive objects to create havoc.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 14 June 2024
Fighting a family affair While Colgan finished up a recent workout with something that resembled headstand pushups, wife Teslin smiled as the couple’s sons Quentin (three) and Kanan (one) caused havoc on an adjacent wrestling mat.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 16 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for havoc
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'havoc.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/havoc. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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