1
as in ornamentals
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
be careful of the fragile curios on the end tables
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in rarities
something strange or unusual that is an object of interest
a museum's collection of curios brought back from the Far East by 19th-century traders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of curios
Conscription and extensive civil defense shelters, now historical curios in much of the West, remain bedrock elements of Finnish defense.
—
Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, admirers, colleagues and gallery workers have sent her curios from New Mexico, Tennessee, New England and beyond.
—Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Other items will also be available, such as jewelry, curios, knick-knacks, puzzles and more.
—Andrea Manes, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Advertisement While most fish-out-of-water stories are keen to highlight the strangeness of the world in which the protagonist has embedded themselves, Rental Family treats the curios of Japanese culture with the utmost respect and a naturalistic approach.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
Frankenstein was even part of the dark ’n’ gritty action-horror hybrid trend of the 2010s, bringing us weird curios like Frankenstein’s Army (2013) and I, Frankenstein (2014).
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Made in Ancient Egypt, which opened this month at Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum, features commemorative stela, golden coffins and masks, and sundry curios created in a style that changed very little down the centuries.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
But more and more, Black List darlings wind up as buzzy Netflix curios like They Cloned Tyrone and May December.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
The business, which also includes a restaurant and a gift shop filled with Native American jewelry and other curios, largely depends on visitors to the national park.
—Ryan Heinsius, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, admirers, colleagues and gallery workers have sent her curios from New Mexico, Tennessee, New England and beyond.
—Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Other items will also be available, such as jewelry, curios, knick-knacks, puzzles and more.
—Andrea Manes, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Advertisement While most fish-out-of-water stories are keen to highlight the strangeness of the world in which the protagonist has embedded themselves, Rental Family treats the curios of Japanese culture with the utmost respect and a naturalistic approach.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
Frankenstein was even part of the dark ’n’ gritty action-horror hybrid trend of the 2010s, bringing us weird curios like Frankenstein’s Army (2013) and I, Frankenstein (2014).
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Made in Ancient Egypt, which opened this month at Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum, features commemorative stela, golden coffins and masks, and sundry curios created in a style that changed very little down the centuries.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
But more and more, Black List darlings wind up as buzzy Netflix curios like They Cloned Tyrone and May December.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
The business, which also includes a restaurant and a gift shop filled with Native American jewelry and other curios, largely depends on visitors to the national park.
—Ryan Heinsius, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curios
Noun
-
Water ornamentals only when the soil is dry, once every week or two or three.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Mix edible plants with ornamentals There’s no rule that says your decorative containers can’t also be productive.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
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Among all these elaborate and painstakingly studied novelties, loaves of barbari, the bread that kicked it off, await almost humbly.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Among the novelties in this edition, which lured close to 11,000 in both festival and industry events, were outdoor screenings, out of competition screenings and an extension to the capital of Bogotá which will showcase some nine Alternativa participants.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Which is why his curiosities point somewhere unexpected.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
Yet, Bruccoleri is absolutely exceptional in her role as a young woman determined to find her voice in a world that would so easily push her aside due to her appearance and eclectic curiosities.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Don’t leave town without picking up a few souvenirs, either.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
-
Advantage ColorGraphics has been printing the Disneyland guide maps that double as free souvenirs since 1994 and has worked with the Anaheim theme park since 1984.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Make Your Own Art Make time for Sunspots Studios, a glassblowing studio where visitors can catch a live demonstration and choose some beautiful glass to take home, such as ornaments, vases, hummingbird feeders, and jewelry.—
Erin Gifford,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
Create a sculpture trail by adding unique plant pedestals and pots as well as sculptures and glass lawn ornaments.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The dead owners’ trinkets sat and hung everywhere, awaiting estate sale.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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Plastic trinkets and graffiti, television sets and bumper stickers, road signs and wigs—many might describe these items as disposable culture, signs of America’s crass habit of regarding anything as art.—
Hua Hsu,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Add a natural wood or wicker coffee table to the living room, or stack some stone knickknacks on a side table.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Whether antiques, cherished knickknacks, or heirlooms, items that are very delicate and/or precious to the customer are typically items house cleaners won’t want to mess with in order to cut down the risk of damaging them.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curios.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curios. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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