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

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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
  • Zepeda, 58, said he’s lived in the neighborhood for more than 30 years and has seen multiple accidents.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Workplace accidents are common in Italy, with an average of three workers a day dying in workplace accidents across the country, according to the INAIL trade union.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Monday in Philadelphia stays cool and unsettled, with the front stalled just south of the region and scattered rain chances, especially across southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware.
    — Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Highs are expected in the upper 80s and the rain chances for the week through Sunday hover around the 80% range — especially Wednesday when the weather service puts storm chances at 88%.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Like many who were detained only to be released, Cazares needed a combination of luck and legal might.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Some Republicans could not believe their luck when Lawrence beat two more traditional candidates in August's Democratic primary.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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