anomaly

noun

ə-ˈnä-mə-lē How to pronounce anomaly (audio)
Definition of anomalynext
1
as in exception
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

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2
as in abnormality
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal snow in July is an anomaly in most of the northern hemisphere

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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 anomaly Oz asked Geffen to screen it again in LA to make sure this wasn’t an anomaly. — Andrew Buss, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026 According to the report, the anomaly was first detected during an engine acceptance test shortly before the start of summer. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 The team sought to identify an anomaly first seen in satellite images in 2020. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 Production workloads can have higher limits paired with anomaly detection. — Pritam Debnath, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anomaly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anomaly
  1. exception
  2. abnormality
  3. rarity
  4. mutation
  5. monster
  6. freak
Noun
  • The glow of many Turners has dwindled, thanks to unstable pigments, but here is an immaculate exception.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the practice of establishing non-disclosure agreements with public officials will largely end, OpenAI said, except for a narrow set of exceptions focused on security or trade secrets.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of exception
Noun
  • There have also been reports that mice carrying a mix of mitochondrial DNA from two animals had behavioral, cognitive, and other abnormalities.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Doctors have long relied primarily on transvaginal ultrasounds to examine the thickness of the uterine lining for abnormalities, as well as on endometrial tissue biopsies to determine whether cancer or precancerous changes are present.
    — Margaret Hetherman, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of abnormality
Noun
  • Don’t back down from the rain Sam and Jasmin’s wedding day started out a bit drizzly, a rarity for early summer in Istanbul.
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Though the average age of a lawmaker in Congress has gotten younger in recent years, being a Gen Z member of Congress remains a rarity.
    — Elena Moore, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of rarity
Noun
  • Data published in 2010 by Newcastle scientists showed that in lab experiments, only a tiny amount of the mother’s mutation-bearing mitochondria — less than 2% — showed up in the reconstructed embryos.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Genetic testing would later confirm a sodium channel mutation, sentencing my son to catastrophic seizures and cognitive disabilities.
    — Jen Murphy Parker, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of mutation
Noun
  • The monster romance is as old as Pasiphaë tricking the white bull into bedding her, but a spate of recent offerings, across film and literature, especially, have come to form something less like a genre and more like a drug.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The potential start of a monster buyback program in December is a promising catalyst.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • Everyone struggles with their identity or feels like a ‘freak’.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The 2027 American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Awards will, at least a little, be one for horror freaks.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of freak

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anomalousness
anomaly
anon
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Cite this Entry

“Anomaly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anomaly. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anomaly

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