1
as in foreign
being, relating to, or characteristic of a country other than one's own
they were careful to learn of any alien business customs before trying to expand overseas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irrelevant
not being a vital part of or belonging to something
it's completely alien to her nature to wish evil of anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to anger
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
such angry outbursts will rapidly alien any friends you might possibly have left
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to transfer
to give over the legal possession or ownership of
the couple plans to alien the adjoining house lot to their eldest son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stranger
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of alien
Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 June 2025
Yet more than half of Americans believe that aliens exist.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Devan Coggan, EW.com, 13 June 2025
There is no minimizing just how alien the notion of female astronauts was at the start, at least in the U.S.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 June 2025
Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
Neanderthal to alien, and yet strangely well-suited for the modern era.
—Nick Remsen, CNN, 30 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for alien
Adjective
Weekend picks Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: The latest Pixar movie, Elio, follows a lonely 11-year-old orphan who believes that being abducted by aliens is his only path to happiness.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 June 2025
Yet more than half of Americans believe that aliens exist.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Verb
Evans' version of Steve Rogers is kind, charming, and fiercely principled — the kind of guy who will defend you from alien invaders and never, ever be late for your dates.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 13 June 2025
There is no minimizing just how alien the notion of female astronauts was at the start, at least in the U.S.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 June 2025
Noun
But even that description fails to capture what Yagi is after: those parts of us, precious and possibly hostile, which flower in darkness, disintegrate when described, and can be compared only to alien life-forms.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
Neanderthal to alien, and yet strangely well-suited for the modern era.
—Nick Remsen, CNN, 30 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for alien
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alien
Adjective
-
The only current exception is children of foreign diplomats, a position the Supreme Court has previously upheld.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
-
Various foreign agricultural products are prohibited from being brought into the United States in order to protect the country's native plantlife from disease and invasive species.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
The most dangerous founders secretly fear becoming irrelevant in their own creation.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
The short movie for spring — whose title is being kept under wraps until the screening — is set on a ferry boat trip, its destination unknown and irrelevant, Magliano added.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Cambodia angered by neighbor’s new restrictions on border crossings PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's government on Tuesday accused Thailand of escalating border tensions by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 June 2025
-
As a mom, I’m angered at the existence of so many abusers who lure children through the internet.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
When in a group, space out to prevent the current from transferring between individuals.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2025
-
Use tongs or a large spoon to transfer a few pieces of the boozy fruit into each cup.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Mackenzie Brown is pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse thanks to the kindness of strangers.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
Each year, teams of strangers—a composer, a writer, a choreographer, and a director—create a musical at breakneck speed.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
As analysts have previously told Newsweek, even those critical of the Islamic Republic often rally behind the central government in the face of external threats and secessionist movements.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
The Global Version of the product ships with just a USB Type-C adapter and is priced at $139 without any external Lavalier mics.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Musk’s official tenure in Washington, D.C., ended earlier in June, just as his relationship with the president was souring.—
Ari Levy,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
29 June 2025
-
By late 1974, the communal idealism had soured, undercut by cocaine, burnout, and turf wars among the crew.—
Noah Eckstein,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
That’s because the SLAM academy is legally a public school, though run privately, which clears the way for the city to cede property to it.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2025
-
Four months after fans of the James Bond franchise decried the deal struck between Amazon MGM with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to cede creative control of the 007 franchise, hope has arrived in the form of famed director Denis Villeneuve.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alien.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alien. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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