eight ball

noun

Definition of eight ballnext
as in free spirit

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eight ball
  1. free spirit
  2. lone ranger
  3. lone wolf
  4. outsider
  5. enfant terrible
  6. misfit
  7. individualist
  8. maverick
Noun
  • Deborah is a sheltered young woman, a free spirit with a flair for the spotlight and a big heart who’s still figuring out her own path at Hillman.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Wrangler combines its Western heritage and the free spirit of the ’70s in its latest collection with Grammy-winning country music artist Lainey Wilson.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of free spirit
Noun
  • The desperate situation usually has an alternative, if only the lone ranger would tolerate his own vulnerability and fallibility.
    — Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2021
  • Kaneland pitcher Emilee Erickson, wearing a protective face mask in Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal, was no lone ranger.
    — Rick Armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, 9 June 2018
Definition of lone ranger
Noun
  • However, Rhea left a GIF of a lone wolf on one of Moreno’s TikTok videos less than two weeks after the series wrapped.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • In that episode, lone wolf Gibbs got a new special friend, an adorable dog.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of lone wolf
Noun
  • Bass, who finished about 5 points ahead of Raman in the June primary, sought to portray her challenger as an inexperienced outsider who would struggle to build support at City Hall.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That's not to say Isola will fall out of favor, but rather to emphasize that Kornheiser and Wilbon have already lasted longer than most outsiders expected.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of outsider
Noun
  • Ellis was the enfant terrible of the ’80s and ’90s literary scene, earning a following with novels about disaffected teens and 20-somethings mixed up in drugs, ennui, and gang rapes.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • At Balenciaga, where Pierpaolo Piccioli made his debut with bubble silhouettes that reference an iconic dress by the house founder and chez Jean Paul Gaultier, Duran Lantink had the last laugh—as an enfant terrible is wont to do.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 10 July 2026
Definition of enfant terrible
Noun
  • That’s because Lux Interior, born Erick Purkhiser in 1946, was a self-aware misfit.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As the misfits who make up Widow’s Bay react matter-of-factly to some of the creepy and strange goings-on around them, at the center of it all is Matthew Rhys as Mayor Tom Loftis.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of misfit
Noun
  • Across a sample of 102 nations, Nordic ones (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Finland) come out as the most individualist.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • This franchise didn't draft John Matuszak, but Davis found the boundary-pushing, difficult-to-coach individualist a perfect fit for the Raiders.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of individualist
Noun
  • Put simply, Hanke sees Venezuela’s future as the world’s leading oil maverick that will go rogue if OPEC’s strictures prevent it from maximizing the worth of its sumptuous reserves.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In the Wisconsin governor’s race, for instance, much of the support for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Francesca Hong, stemmed from her maverick stance against data centers.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of maverick
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.

Browse Nearby Words

eidolons
eight ball
eight balls
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eight ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eight%20ball. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on eight ball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eight ball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All