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
  • L’Artisan Parfumeur has remained a pioneering niche perfume brand with an independent, free spirit.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Batiste told us his free spirit clashed with the school's more structured methods.
    — Marc Lieberman, CBS News, 11 Oct. 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
  • Yeah, Sam has been a lone wolf, sort of a samurai, traveling the world on very high-stakes solo missions in all parts of the globe in dangerous hotspots.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of lone wolf
Noun
  • This heartachingly lived-in quality runs throughout Unfindable Ring—an eclectic testament to the trials and joys of life as a career outsider.
    — Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 13 Nov. 2026
  • With so many points on offer this week, a win would come with a huge reward for any outsider like Luiten.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of outsider
Noun
  • Lantink has been enjoying the support of fashion’s original enfant terrible, Jean Paul Gaultier.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In the kind of career-making scandal that many young artists dream of, Sachs, who was born in Manhattan, grew up in Connecticut, and studied art at Bennington College, became the city’s newest enfant terrible.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of enfant terrible
Noun
  • In other words, Rose is the misfit-in-chief here, one of those songwriters whose gibberish songs are somehow their most profound.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Lee’s films have often zeroed in on misfits and outcasts, cut off from society’s embrace.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 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
  • Much of the money came from indie maverick Mark Duplass, who challenged the producers and writer/director Elliott Tuttle to make a film on that shoestring budget.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This fall, Drexler’s wild, maverick sensibility is cropping up all over New York.
    — Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on eight ball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eight ball

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All