1
as in rarities
something strange or unusual that is an object of interest
the museum's curiosities include items constructed entirely out of toothpicks
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2
as in ornamentals
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
an assortment of curiosities from around the world that the family picked up during various vacations
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3
as in tricks
an odd or peculiar habit
Charles Dickens typically endowed his characters with an array of endearing curiosities
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Recent Examples of curiosities
After Anthropic accidentally leaked the source code to its blockbuster Claude chatbot, netizens swiftly pounced to start plowing through its more than 512,000 lines of code — and have uncovered numerous curiosities sprinkled throughout.
—
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026
Transit often takes me outside of myself, offering new forms, curiosities, psychogeographies.
—Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
This is Amused Bouche, SAVEUR’s food questionnaire that explores the culinary curiosities of some of our favorite people.
—Alyse Whitney, Saveur, 25 Mar. 2026
These educators encourage students to channel their curiosities into inquiries.
—Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2026
Gyllenhaal lovingly crafts this scarred, stapled and eccentric Bonnie and Clyde duo then tosses them into a landscape of curiosities that matches their weird.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Connecticut should treat those cases as warnings, not curiosities.
—Timothy M. Herbst, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
Banks may be one of the biggest curiosities of the opening round.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The interiors are colorful and layered, with patterned wallpaper, statement carpeting, bold tile, and shelves dotted with curiosities that reward a second (and third) look.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026
Transit often takes me outside of myself, offering new forms, curiosities, psychogeographies.
—Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
This is Amused Bouche, SAVEUR’s food questionnaire that explores the culinary curiosities of some of our favorite people.
—Alyse Whitney, Saveur, 25 Mar. 2026
These educators encourage students to channel their curiosities into inquiries.
—Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2026
Gyllenhaal lovingly crafts this scarred, stapled and eccentric Bonnie and Clyde duo then tosses them into a landscape of curiosities that matches their weird.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Connecticut should treat those cases as warnings, not curiosities.
—Timothy M. Herbst, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
Banks may be one of the biggest curiosities of the opening round.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The interiors are colorful and layered, with patterned wallpaper, statement carpeting, bold tile, and shelves dotted with curiosities that reward a second (and third) look.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curiosities
Noun
-
The shows are pegged to a new compilation of rarities and fan favorites called From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The hip-hop mogul obviously has no shortage of rarities to showcase, with his collection now estimated to be worth several million.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Companion plants for ornamentals such as hydrangeas are selected for aesthetic purposes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Mellano raises flowers, succulents and ornamentals on hundreds of acres in South Morro Hills.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Small visual tricks are ubiquitous yet nothing here feels tacky.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are likely between 20,000 and 50,000 species of mycorrhizal fungi, each with its own tricks for tapping into different plants and harvesting nutrients using enzymes, acids, and water-mining structures.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Small and ominous-looking, the plants are commonly sold as novelties, and many a curious child (or adult) has triggered its sinister traps with a pencil to see its amazingly rapid response.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The 66 luxury watchmakers participating in the seven-day event are reserving all their new novelties for Geneva, after all.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Drew Allar is a walking collection of top-end NFL quarterback traits, too — there is no reason a QB with that type of physical talent should be waiting around late into Day 3.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Engineering or selecting for climate resilient traits in one species does not guarantee the survival of the many others that depend on it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Signs along Main Street advertise shops like WomanMade Products and hawk souvenirs.—
Beverly Gage,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike the recently popular minimalist styles, real home decorating reflects memories, travel, and family—knickknacks, photographs, souvenirs, and heirlooms are embraced and incorporated.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The interface of the desktop website version includes key mission milestones and characteristics about the moon, including information about landing sites during the Apollo era.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Hegseth exhibits those characteristics, and our soldiers finally have someone to follow.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These adorable multicolor glasses look like they’re inspired by spring garden ornaments.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to carrying her own creations in the 800-square-foot storefront, Wolfer’s inventory includes handmade quilts, greeting cards, oyster shell ornaments and photography on display.—
Sarah Kyrcz,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curiosities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curiosities. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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