flukes

plural of fluke
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 Was 2025 the fluke of flukes or a harbinger of something worse to come for Andy Reid and friends? — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026 Their odds of winning the World Series – a famously finicky task prone to small sample size flukes – were over 25%, one-in-four for one of baseball’s 30 teams. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Guests at Brookfield Zoo can identify her in Dolphin Bay by her distinctive features, including a freckle on her tongue, pink coloration on her ventral side, and smaller flukes and dorsal fins in relation to her body size. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 These moments are not flukes either. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Whale song, the splashing of flippers, the flashing of flukes. — Julie Orringer, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flukes
Noun
  • The circumstances around Denton’s death are also being reviewed by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), which routinely investigates workplace accidents.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Or in this case of 28, is there evidence of multiple accidents where deer have been struck?
    — John Shumway, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Its presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials have said.
    — Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The plot’s exposure damaged Democrat Mary Peltola, knocking her off-message, and now threatens her party’s chances of winning control of the Senate.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • What readers are saying The comments revolve around the theme of success and the role of luck versus hard work.
    — Razzan Nakhlawi, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Just put in the effort and the prayers and have a little bit of luck and keep rolling on, baby.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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