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
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
There are some outliers — Pluribus and The Rehearsal would be oddballs in any year.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
There are some outliers — Pluribus and The Rehearsal would be oddballs in any year.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
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
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Greg Brown, the original guitarist and co-founding member of ’90s alt-rock eccentrics Cake, has died.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
9 Feb. 2026
-
On his mother’s side, a line of troubled souls and eccentrics.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Mediterranean diet has nuts, beans and fish as primary sources of protein, and MyPlate focuses on lean meats as well.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Avoid allergens While most multivitamin companies avoid using common allergens like soy, nuts and dairy, some share production facilities.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oddballs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oddballs. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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