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 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 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
  • Overall, Americans say road accidents pose the biggest threat to their safety, followed by crime and violence.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
  • Porro said many of the accidents involving e-bikes in the city were preventable.
    Nikiya Carrero, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • Comparing the volume of goals and xG, this summer saw 37 goals more than the quality of chances would suggest.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Torres – one of Barcelona’s key men up front – had been having an awful tournament, missing a plethora of chances throughout the campaign and being benched after starting against Cape Verde.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • There’s the fact that the Red Wings never got much lottery luck — never picking higher than fourth, and certainly not getting the kind of breaks teams like San Jose have gotten in moving up dramatically in the order.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • During their meeting, Baracca’s mother suggested that Ferrari use the prancing horse on his cars as a good-luck symbol.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on flukes

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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