1
as in exceptions
something that is different from what is ordinary or expected
her C grade is an anomaly, as she's never made anything except A's and B's before
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abnormalities
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal
snow in July is an anomaly in most of the northern hemisphere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anomalies
Law enforcement from the South Elgin Police Department and Fox Valley Major Crimes Task Force spent Thursday at a home in the 800 block of Revere Road after ground-penetrating radar found anomalies underground that police said warranted further investigation.
—
Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The massive rocket has encountered a number of anomalies and failures since its debut, including fiery explosions both on the test stand and mid-flight that have attracted plenty of headlines.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 2026
On Friday, unknown attackers exploited the vulnerability to push a new version of element-data, a command-line interface that helps users monitor performance and anomalies in machine-learning systems.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
In this military facility designed to withstand a nuclear strike, data is collected from sensors across the far north monitoring everything from the seafloor all the way up to space, sifted for anomalies, and analyzed for threats such as shadow fleet ships and unidentified aircraft.
—Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
The contradictions and anomalies that kept on coming only made her life more alluring.
—Sara Wheeler, Big Think, 17 Apr. 2026
The scale of the anomalies and news reports that showed the lavish lifestyles and fleets of expensive European cars of some of the suspects sparked huge anti-corruption protests last year in a country where millions still live in appalling poverty.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Kawamura and the production designer Ryo Sugimoto have tweaked and expanded upon the game’s spare visual elements, updating, among other objects, the wall posters where several of the trickiest anomalies lie.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
People demand consistent application of laws that are riddled with subjective anomalies, then bemoan a lack of common sense whenever an official dares to interpret a rule too literally.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The massive rocket has encountered a number of anomalies and failures since its debut, including fiery explosions both on the test stand and mid-flight that have attracted plenty of headlines.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 2026
On Friday, unknown attackers exploited the vulnerability to push a new version of element-data, a command-line interface that helps users monitor performance and anomalies in machine-learning systems.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
In this military facility designed to withstand a nuclear strike, data is collected from sensors across the far north monitoring everything from the seafloor all the way up to space, sifted for anomalies, and analyzed for threats such as shadow fleet ships and unidentified aircraft.
—Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
The contradictions and anomalies that kept on coming only made her life more alluring.
—Sara Wheeler, Big Think, 17 Apr. 2026
The scale of the anomalies and news reports that showed the lavish lifestyles and fleets of expensive European cars of some of the suspects sparked huge anti-corruption protests last year in a country where millions still live in appalling poverty.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Kawamura and the production designer Ryo Sugimoto have tweaked and expanded upon the game’s spare visual elements, updating, among other objects, the wall posters where several of the trickiest anomalies lie.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
People demand consistent application of laws that are riddled with subjective anomalies, then bemoan a lack of common sense whenever an official dares to interpret a rule too literally.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anomalies
Noun
-
After a contentious four-hour-plus hearing, the city planning and zoning board voted 5-4 in support of a list of zoning waivers and exceptions that county officials say are essential for the project to move forward, but that was one vote short of the six-vote supermajority required for approval.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
-
Members have one full year from the date of purchase to return items for a replacement or refund (there are a few exceptions).—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Before the crash, there were no abnormalities in radio communications and control commands, or any reports of dangerous weather in the airspace of the plane or along its route, according to the CAAC.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
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Jurors also heard from a fetal alcohol expert Wednesday who said scans of Horner’s brain showed abnormalities consistent with fetal alcohol issues.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The space is also adorned with vitrines showcasing jewelry by David Webb, Boucheron, and René Boivin, as well as other rarities, like an asteroid fragment and a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
17 Apr. 2026
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The vinyl rarities sold exclusively during the annual Record Store Day in April run from Taylor Swift to the Grateful Dead and local indie acts, but much of the appeal is the joyous atmosphere that surrounds the industry promotion.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Among the more unusual succulents Kent has are crested plants — mutations of plants that give them unusual shapes and other characteristics.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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But the mutations are so rare that no single research center had enough family members for a large study.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anomalies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anomalies. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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