1
as in anomalies
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lovers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a hockey freak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whims
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 addicts
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
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Recent Examples of freaks
Ashley Padilla and James Austin Johnson also pop in as Dirkus’ parents, and win BJ over despite being real freaks themselves.
—
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The other 19% constitute freaks at the far end, who read 10 or more tomes.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Fitness freaks love to flex at Bondi, while party people prefer the many beachside bars and pubs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2025
Sherman didn’t mind hanging with the freaks, though.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Nobody made videos in those primitive days, nobody except weird Brit poseurs and art freaks and thirsty postpunk eccentrics, so the network was forced to play them all.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
The eugenics movement raged in America and abroad, and bodies deemed as ‘freaks’ could be subject to investigation, sterilization, or institutionalization.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
The clean freaks in your life will be eternally grateful.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The other 19% constitute freaks at the far end, who read 10 or more tomes.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Fitness freaks love to flex at Bondi, while party people prefer the many beachside bars and pubs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2025
Sherman didn’t mind hanging with the freaks, though.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Nobody made videos in those primitive days, nobody except weird Brit poseurs and art freaks and thirsty postpunk eccentrics, so the network was forced to play them all.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
The eugenics movement raged in America and abroad, and bodies deemed as ‘freaks’ could be subject to investigation, sterilization, or institutionalization.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
The clean freaks in your life will be eternally grateful.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freaks
Noun
-
Space One terminated the mission about three minutes into flight, at an altitude of roughly 62 miles (100 kilometers), after detecting performance anomalies.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Archaeology Mag continues that geophysical data didn’t produce any clear plans of building, but subsurface anomalies did indicate the presence of hearths and storage pits.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For the extreme chocolate lovers in your life, this cookie is their dream.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Many animal lovers have pet dogs or cats.—
Bailey Allen,
Cape Cod Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As a medium tied to evolving technology and the whims of capital, film has panic about its future baked into its very foundations.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Trump’s fixation about coal is another of his whims of iron, like tariffs.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
AlAnon is a support group for family and friends of alcoholics/addicts.—
Ramona Sentinel,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
He was then charged with violating the 1968 federal gun law that bars drug users and addicts from possessing firearms.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Clip away suckers or small sprouts that are growing from the base of the tree.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Hindsight, alas, is for suckers and columnists.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The brand new house aims to shake up the old publishing playbook by exploding notions of genre and form, and celebrating the subcultures driving artistic innovation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Everyone was looking for an edge, and that trumped clinging to old notions.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Google’s latest lawsuit pushes the company to do more, such as warning users about the risks of having long emotional conversations with its chatbot.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
On New Year’s Day, programmer Steve Yegge launched Gas Town, an open-source platform that lets users orchestrate swarms of Claude Code agents simultaneously, assembling software at blistering speed.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The fans, rightfully so, should always overreact.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The company estimates there are at least a million tennis fans who would pony up for its app and millions more casual fans who might watch for free or listen to a podcast.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freaks. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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