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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
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
-
The industry has been well aware of the risks of the types of chemical accidents that can lead to a thermal runaway reaction, posing the risk of an explosion.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Some of the most influential American innovations began as side projects, accidents, or niche engineering solutions before quietly changing how people communicate, travel, work, eat, and survive.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Mexico continued to press with numerous chances in the first half, including another shot by Quiñones that hit the post and another great save by Williams, who was South Africa’s best player.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
That’s when Patriots goalkeeper Mamie Kosicki shined, saving multiple high-quality chances to hold the score.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
More candidates are willing to sidestep seniority to try their luck — especially younger progressives.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Whoever wins quarterfinal, wins it all Good luck trying to calculate which teams will play in the quarterfinal on July 9 without getting a popsicle headache.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
