hell-for-leather 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of hell-for-leathernext
as in reckless
having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions having been behind for most of the race, the stock car driver made a hell-for-leather dash to the finish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hell-for-leather

2 of 2

adverb

ˈhel-fər-ˈle-ṯẖər How to pronounce hell-for-leather (audio)
as in quickly
with great speed we ran hell-for-leather out of that spooky house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hell-for-leather
Adverb
There’s no better action movie on Earth than George Miller’s hell-for-leather quest for water and redemption. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 The plot thickens further when Bundle, driving hell-for-leather down a country lane, comes across someone lying in the middle of the road. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell-for-leather
  1. reckless
  2. quickly
  3. daring
  4. fast
  5. daredevil
  6. rapidly
  7. quick
  8. swiftly
Adjective
  • Smith said once caught, the suspect will face charges of making terroristic threats, harassment, simple assault, reckless endangerment and intimidation.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The teens face misdemeanors including trespassing and reckless conduct, and two were given citations for having pellet guns.
    — Sara Machi, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of reckless
Adverb
  • What quickly emerges, is Jackson’s talent for bringing comedic punch to each character.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • An inmate ran out of a preliminary hearing at the Fairfield Courthouse Tuesday afternoon, knocking down a deputy district attorney and making it out of the courtroom before he was quickly apprehended, the Solano County Sheriff's Office said.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of quickly
Adjective
  • Posing in a mirror selfie on the set of her Hulu show Only Murders in the Building, the actress wore a dramatic, daring red gown.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Zendaya in particular has proved exceptionally good at getting young viewers to show up for more daring movies, such as this spring’s The Drama; comparatively, something as broadly crowd-pleasing as Brand New Day is a layup.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of daring
Adverb
  • As the outbreak spreads and kills people faster than any other outbreak of the disease in history, a major source of concern for monitoring efforts is miners constantly on the move and in hard-to-reach, unsafe territories.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The river is particularly dangerous near Hazel Dell Parkway and 106th Street in Carmel, where fast-moving waters washed out a bridge, commissioners said.
    — John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fast
Adjective
  • News earlier in the month, Johnson and East chatted about life at home with their three little ones, and shared which kid is taking on a daredevil personality.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • In addition to decades of performing his own impossible feats for the sake and sanctity of cinema, Cruise has lately taken to showing off his daredevil talents at sporting events worldwide.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026
Definition of daredevil
Adverb
  • The blaze had grown rapidly through the day, driven by gusty winds, low humidity and dry brush.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The episode illustrated the advantages and dangers of the rapidly developing technology—and what business leaders can learn from using AI to help manage a business crisis.
    — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of rapidly
Adverb
  • The beginning of the fire was widely mistaken as a special effect put on by the pop group performing at the time, and the flames spread quicker than clubbers could realize what was happening.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Copley agrees with this sentiment, noting that the scent of essential oils fades quicker if a room is too cold, drafty, or large.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of quick
Adverb
  • This, as is the way with the Villans, can swiftly change depending on Emery’s rationale and whether or not certain players leave.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In my view, what separates successful leaders isn't their ability to adapt quickly in a swiftly changing environment.
    — Don Weber, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of swiftly

Browse Nearby Words

hellfires
hell-for-leather
hellhole
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hell-for-leather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell-for-leather. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hell-for-leather

Nglish: Translation of hell-for-leather for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All