as in accidents
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events
the discovery of oil on their property was just an amazing fluke
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Recent Examples of flukes
That kind of overlap across two major rankings signals these aren’t flukes.
—
Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
From a human perspective, whales are born backwards, emerging flukes first.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Who knew if these roles were flukes — one-offs, novelties — or if Jerry Adler would defy the odds stacked up against any actor, much less a sexagenarian new to the game, and continue to find work in his newfound profession.
—Howard Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
But by a series of flukes, Friedman never once auditioned for the CSO.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
From a human perspective, whales are born backwards, emerging flukes first.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Who knew if these roles were flukes — one-offs, novelties — or if Jerry Adler would defy the odds stacked up against any actor, much less a sexagenarian new to the game, and continue to find work in his newfound profession.
—Howard Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
But by a series of flukes, Friedman never once auditioned for the CSO.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flukes
Noun
-
One of only two Level 7 accidents, when a steam explosion destroyed reactor number four at the Ukrainian plant.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Parents should keep an eye on their kids to avoid accidents.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Helping its chances, Martin points out, is the fact that Ellison already has experience working with this administration to get regulatory approvals, having successfully completed the Skydance-Paramount merger in 2025.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
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O'Brien escaped with his eighth save in 10 chances as the Cardinals won their third straight in a four-game series that ends Thursday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Afterwards, Slegers insisted the somewhat strange goals were not all about luck.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Injuries ravaged the group, disrupting any sense of continuity, and Albin is hoping for far better luck up front this year.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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