as in unusual
being out of the ordinary
even weather forecasters seemed surprised by the freak hailstorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in anomaly
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal
that snowstorm in April was a freak, since our weather is usually much balmier by then
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a hockey freak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
suddenly had the bizarre freak to take a road trip across the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in addict
slang
a person who regularly uses drugs especially illegally
he knew that he'd never get his life in order if he continued to hang out with the crystal meth freaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of freak
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2023
It’s just what happens sometimes and it’s just such a freak accident.
—Mohammad Ahmad, cleveland, 4 Jan. 2023
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The broken wrist was a freak accident, but those happen in other sports, too.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freak
Adjective
An Army hockey player was cut in the neck in a freak accident during a game at Sacred Heart on Thursday night, leaving a bloody trail on the ice at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2023
It’s just what happens sometimes and it’s just such a freak accident.
—Mohammad Ahmad, cleveland, 4 Jan. 2023
Noun
The implication, drawn from analysis such as the simulation above, is that Villa’s accuracy from distance is a freak, a one-off fluke.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The broken wrist was a freak accident, but those happen in other sports, too.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak
Adjective
-
In the footage and images released by the FBI, the suspect appears to have a gun holstered near the center of his waist – an unusual position – and is seen wearing a backpack with reflective straps.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Austin criminal defense attorney Sam Bassett told CBS affiliate KEYE-TV that a declaration of innocence is very unusual.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Environmental police have deployed side-scan sonar to try to gather data and detect anomalies on the ocean floor, officials said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Scientists subtract the temperature anomalies in the rest of the tropical Pacific from those in the region most important for El Niño.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing cafe visits, switching to cheaper brews or forgoing it altogether.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Court ruled that Trump could no longer use a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPPA) to impose sweeping tariffs as his personal whim.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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Of course, a lot of what hits and what misses is luck, studio politics, the whims of the audience.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Harper and him are both addicts of a certain kind of thrill, a certain kind of action.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube face claims that their platforms addict children through deliberate design choices that keep kids glued to their screens.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the fundraising efforts have been an extraordinary example of the community that continues to exist, Frenkel said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The Poster House show is founded on the private collection of Michael Lellouche, who, in his introduction to the accompanying book, points out an extraordinary symbiosis.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Liu’s laboratory designed a crucial component of the therapy — the base editor to fix KJ’s mutation.—
Carolyn Y. Johnson,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Susannah was diagnosed with a mutation in her KIF1A gene.—
Leanne Miller,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Pisces are suckers for anything romantic.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
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Why to Prune Viburnums Viburnums seldom need pruning other than to remove damaged, diseased, and dead branches, or sucker shoots that grow straight up from the roots but don’t flower.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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