awry

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈrī

: off the correct or expected course : amiss

Their plans went awry.

: in a turned or twisted position or direction : askew

His wig was put on all awry, with the tail straggling about his neck.

Charles Dickens

Example Sentences

In his 1942 story "Runaround," Isaac Asimov offered his now-famous Three Laws of Robotics: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; a robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; and a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Most of Asimov's stories deal with things going awry because these laws don't equip robots to tackle real-world situations.

Robert J. Sawyer, Science, 16 Nov. 2007 Beer is made up of a complex concoction of substances that stretch well beyond simply that of water and ethanol. There is ample opportunity, then, for things to go awry in the beer-making process.

David Filmore, Today's Chemist at Work, January 2002 If you forget to sign your return, speckle it with correction fluid, or assemble the pages in the wrong order, the agent may take a much closer look to see if anything else is awry.

Janine S. Pouliot, Parenting, April 1997 I was proud of my schoolteacher father. If his suit was out of press, and his necktie knotted awry, I was too new to the world to notice.

John Updike, New Yorker, 10 Mar. 1997

Recent Examples on the Web The first lesson is to always have an exit strategy — a plan for what to do with your data and contacts — in case things go awry.

Brian X. Chen, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2022 This 104-piece Roadside Emergency Kit has everything your favorite car enthusiast would ever need if plans go awry.

Collin Morgan, Car and Driver, 11 Oct. 2022 Things quickly go awry as hilarity and adventure ensues.

Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2022 Who gets to make these decisions, and who bears the cost if plans go awry?

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2022 The parties that sell naming rights aren’t obligated to honor their agreements when things go awry, said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute.

Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2022 Aspects to Pluto in your sign make the 17th a great day to network but don’t be too concerned if various plans go awry near the 19th.

Katharine Merlin, Town & Country, 16 Nov. 2022 But after things go awry due to a mysterious phantom attempting to sabotage the night, Pete joins forces with his two younger siblings to unmask the villain and save the premiere.

People Staff, Peoplemag, 25 Oct. 2022 Understanding the cellular and molecular processes that go awry in neurons and lead to brain disorders has always been Paşca’s motivation.

Allison Whitten, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'awry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.