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lone wolf 1 of 2

noun

Definition of lone wolfnext
as in bohemian
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs a lone wolf in the art world, he has his own style and paints only to please himself

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lone-wolf

2 of 2

adjective

as in antisocial

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 lone wolf
Noun
The assessment, which was based on disruptions, incidents, and violent extremist propaganda, says the potentially enormous crowds make the parade a high priority for lone wolf attackers, the official said. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 18 June 2026 One of the trickiest parts for the Secret Service is trying to anticipate the lone wolf who might suddenly show up at an event, or approach the White House gates. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Adjective
Tracker, based on the bestselling novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver, stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who driven by the troubles of his past, uses his instincts to find the missing and collect rewards. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026 There is a perverse possibility that these lone-wolf acts could lead to collective punishment. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lone wolf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lone wolf
  1. maverick
  2. antisocial
  3. lone ranger
  4. lone
  5. free spirit
  6. unsociable
  7. enfant terrible
  8. unsocial
Noun
  • Launching a linear channel may feel anachronistic and comes at a time when the BBC is set to close at least one but under maverick content chief Ben Frow, 5 has leaned in to linear.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
  • People like Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who's a Florida Republican and kind of a maverick on some issues, were tweeting very soon after this warning came out saying that Congress needed to do something.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of maverick
Adjective
  • They were described by family members and neighbors as antisocial and chronically online.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Yet the rules of the real world don’t always apply virtually, and the behavior of the virtual world, in real life, is typically weird and antisocial.
    — Longreads, Longreads, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of antisocial
Noun
  • The desperate situation usually has an alternative, if only the lone ranger would tolerate his own vulnerability and fallibility.
    — Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2021
  • Kaneland pitcher Emilee Erickson, wearing a protective face mask in Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal, was no lone ranger.
    — Rick Armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, 9 June 2018
Definition of lone ranger
Adjective
  • After New York’s scalding August heat waves, the cool nights and quiet of the countryside were a welcome change—save for the lone donkey who decided that four in the morning was the right time to sound the alarm.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington argued the jury should be further questioned after jurors accused the lone holdout of not following the judge's orders on reasonable doubt.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of lone
Noun
  • The writer is greeted by André Parenteau, a distant cousin and fellow free spirit of the 1960s, who convenes a family reunion in the town’s parish hall.
    — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Medical student Antonia most closely resembles her mother, while Kylie, now a Harvard student, is a bit more of a free spirit.
    — Alex Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of free spirit
Adjective
  • Hospitality fared well in Deputy’s study, making up half of the 10 happiest job sectors, despite the sector’s reputation for high stress, unsociable hours, and low pay.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025
  • To drink too much would be inexcusable; to drink too little would be unsociable.
    — Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Feb. 2024
Definition of unsociable
Noun
  • In the kind of career-making scandal that many young artists dream of, Sachs, who was born in Manhattan, grew up in Connecticut, and studied art at Bennington College, became the city’s newest enfant terrible.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Ellis was the enfant terrible of the ’80s and ’90s literary scene, earning a following with novels about disaffected teens and 20-somethings mixed up in drugs, ennui, and gang rapes.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of enfant terrible
Adjective
  • Especially now, during the daunting age of unsocial media.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The choice of verbs on social media seems, to Miss Manners, to demonstrate a decidedly unsocial intent.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2022
Definition of unsocial

Browse Nearby Words

lonesomeness
lone wolf
lone-wolf
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Cite this Entry

“Lone wolf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lone%20wolf. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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