as in eccentrics
a person of odd or whimsical habits
she's known as the office oddball
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Recent Examples of oddballs
The Sun Belt is the only real exception, having now defined itself as FBS’ actual Southeastern conference, partly by losing its former oddballs like Idaho and New Mexico State.
—
Jason Kirk, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Jack and Rose are oddballs, neither fitting into their respective societal slots.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
Shi’s bottle list encompasses an idiosyncratic mix of classics and oddballs, including stroppy Austrian natural whites alongside multi-thousand-dollar Burgundies, funky low-intervention oranges from Greece, a few bottles from the Japanese winery Coco Farm.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
At that time, writers such as Angela Carter or Kathy Acker were oddballs.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
The shows share a preoccupation with the heroic potential of oddballs and burnouts, one that has kept Horses galloping for five seasons (and two more are in the works).
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Sometimes explaining one’s affinity for a specific Pokémon is difficult; since Satoshi Tajiri has been dreaming up these pet-warrior-oddballs, many have historically had a certain je ne sais quoi.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Will these two oddballs, thrust together by a dental emergency on a night that commends peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, maintain a friendship?
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Jason Kirk, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Jack and Rose are oddballs, neither fitting into their respective societal slots.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
Shi’s bottle list encompasses an idiosyncratic mix of classics and oddballs, including stroppy Austrian natural whites alongside multi-thousand-dollar Burgundies, funky low-intervention oranges from Greece, a few bottles from the Japanese winery Coco Farm.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
At that time, writers such as Angela Carter or Kathy Acker were oddballs.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
The shows share a preoccupation with the heroic potential of oddballs and burnouts, one that has kept Horses galloping for five seasons (and two more are in the works).
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Sometimes explaining one’s affinity for a specific Pokémon is difficult; since Satoshi Tajiri has been dreaming up these pet-warrior-oddballs, many have historically had a certain je ne sais quoi.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Will these two oddballs, thrust together by a dental emergency on a night that commends peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, maintain a friendship?
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oddballs
Noun
-
On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The spline structure inside the nuts, the non-fixed gripping posture, and interference from magnetic forces significantly increased assembly complexity.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Pillowy layers of white cake make this one a classic, but an assortment of fruits and nuts like cherries and pecans set it apart.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oddballs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddballs. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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