1
as in conventional
accepted, used, or practiced by most people
that's not the usual method, but it works
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
the characters in this novel are drawn with greater depth than is usual for a work of science fiction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ubiquitous
often observed or encountered
the usual reaction to the sight of the falls is one of absolute awe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ordinary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of usual
Daniel Payne, STAT, 18 Apr. 2026
Rojo was coaching third base, as usual, Friday.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Aria Bendix, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022
On the first day back, Evans ordered his usual: a single cheeseburger, fries and a Coke.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for usual
Adjective
The order directs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite some psychedelics as breakthrough drugs, as well as allowing them to be used through right-to-try legislation, which allow terminally ill patients to try experimental drugs outside of usual regulatory pathways.
—Daniel Payne, STAT, 18 Apr. 2026
Rojo was coaching third base, as usual, Friday.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
Ebonē Colbert ordered her usual on her weekly trip to Wendy's with her son: a kid’s meal with a plain cheeseburger for him and a Dave’s Single, a burger topped with lettuce and tomato, for herself.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022
On the first day back, Evans ordered his usual: a single cheeseburger, fries and a Coke.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for usual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usual
Adjective
-
Everybody else was of course taller, but not in basketball’s conventional range.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike conventional carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) systems, which require significant external energy to trap and process gases, the new gas battery converts the energy released during gas adsorption directly into electrical power.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Calls to the ships’ operators outside normal working hours either weren’t answered or weren’t immediately returned.—
Julian Lee,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Sanoja has primarily played third base this season, with seven of his nine starts coming there, but his last two starts came in center field on Thursday (to give normal starter Jakob Marsee his first day off from the field) and left field on Friday.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This ubiquitous technology came from our understanding of quantum physics.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Android Android cellphones have become as ubiquitous as iPhones in modern years, but the company didn’t start out in the phone game.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Like his perceptive doc about Joy Division, Everybody Digs Bill Evans is about the ordinary that feeds the extraordinary and leaves us to figure out the rest for ourselves.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Saturday’s wind forecast for Camas Prairie, Idaho.—
Ruby Mellen,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Justin also strayed a little too far from ambrosia salad since his dish didn’t have the customary fluffy texture.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Even so, this play, made out of his Christmas Carol, had become a customary performance in Quincy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My apprenticeship began with a simple disassembly, a typical exercise for new employees.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Frazier described a typical pricing cycle pattern, noting that spot prices move first, before highway contract rates follow suit with a three-to-six-month lag.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By the end of that show, the anxiety and isolation that freight life in the closet had burned away, leaving a happy, hopeful ending in place of familiar narrative disaster; love is found, secrecy is banished, and all is well.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Yet, lurking on social media, the appointment unleashed the all-too-familiar torrent of hate, sexism and misogyny.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That means Gotham can tap into an additional $1 million in funds above the salary cap to pay her when the rule comes into effect on July 1.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The collection of new rules underwent several rounds of revisions to meet definitions in state law, address resident concerns and create a plan for enforcement, according to city staff.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Usual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usual. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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