castaways

noun

plural of castaway
as in outcasts
one who is cast out or rejected by society one theory is that Easter Island was first settled by castaways from Polynesia

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 castaways Gilligan’s Island, American television sitcom about a group of castaways on a desert island and the chaos that ensues as their attempts at rescue are constantly thwarted. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 Supporters of the theory believe that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan became stranded on the remote island after failing to reach Howland Island — possibly dying as castaways. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 But the Hurricanes turned speedy castaways like Ehlers, Miller, Taylor Hall and Eric Robinson into Cup champions. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 17 June 2026 Other castaways struggled with how to present themselves on screen while playing this game of cons and elimination. — Shaan Merchant, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026 One guy simply voted for his fellow castaways in alphabetical order. — Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026 With Piggy as the ideas man, thinking through issues like sanitation and proposing a signal fire to aid rescue efforts, Ralph uses his constituents’ goodwill to implement an ad-hoc social democracy that cares for even the youngest and weakest castaways. — Judy Berman, Time, 4 May 2026 The potential for a redemption arc could make the castaways’ fight for the title even more intense and memorable. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2026 Carving out a little lane of their own is ØWay, a supergroup of castaways big enough to fill every position on a baseball field. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castaways
  1. outcasts
  2. lepers
  3. rejects
  4. exiles
  5. castoffs
  6. pariahs
Noun
  • As Davud is drawn back into addiction, Shams grows increasingly isolated among the building’s workers, veterans and outcasts.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But the island was also a haven for outcasts and pirates and merchants, from across Europe and the Levant and beyond, who came to the Caribbean to seek their fortunes or to help grow the fortunes of others.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of outcasts
Noun
  • Remember, the Lord Jesus did not fear lepers, and leprosy was (and continues to be) a highly contagious infectious disease.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The town serves as the backdrop for what many surrounding the production consider the creative high point of the season — an episode 5 spaghetti western side mission that involves lepers, eye-gauging vultures, and a train pulled by zombies.
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Definition of lepers
Noun
  • The most opinionated of these rejects is Smarty Pants, a basic toilet-training tech tool given an amusingly snarky attitude by Conan O’Brien.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
  • Today, there are hundreds of rejects packed in wood cabinets and cardboard boxes.
    — Steve Hartman, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Definition of rejects
Noun
  • Pure catharsis that exiles can dedicate in the name of those silenced on the island.
    — Sarah Moreno August 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In his brutal eight-year reign, Amin was estimated by exiles and human rights groups to have caused the deaths of at least 300,000 people and expelled the country’s Asian population.
    — Andrew Fifield, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of exiles
Noun
  • The Valkyries, as an expansion club, were constructed originally out of WNBA castoffs and skilled international players.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • While the big-name prospects were at Chase Center, the combo guard had to make the most of it with long shots and castoffs.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 12 July 2026
Definition of castoffs
Noun
  • Not everyone treated the couple as pariahs, though.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
  • These factors have turned the Ellisons into Murdoch-like pariahs among many Democrats, and have brought together a somewhat ideologically diverse antitrust coalition, ranging from the more centrist wing of the Democratic Party to the progressive left.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of pariahs

Browse Nearby Words

castaway
castaways
cast down
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Cite this Entry

“Castaways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castaways. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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