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
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
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
-
Humans are evolutionary accidents from the snake’s perspective — large, unfamiliar mammals that just so happen to react very badly when exposed to their venom, which evolved for a very different purpose.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Preventing electrical accidents is crucial.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
In addition to scoring the match’s only goal so far, Czechia leads in shots and chances created.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
Soccer pundits claim that a team needs at least a win and a draw (4 points) to improve their chances of moving into the Round of 32, and that is exactly what both Canada and Qatar will aim for.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The viral bag has been called the team’s good luck charm.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Sometimes a little luck can go a long way, and Japan found that out firsthand in its 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in group stage action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
