as in pariahs
one who is cast out or rejected by society
the professor is something of an outcast in the halls of academe now that his former support of a dictatorial regime has become public
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Recent Examples of outcasts
As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.
—
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Badly in Love brings together societal outcasts — individuals who have lived beyond conventional rules and etiquette — in search of love and redemption.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
When snowboarding was first created, mountains banned snowboards from ski lifts because they were stigmatized by association with outcasts and misfits.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Oak Lawn’s history of being a haven for the LGBTQ community dates back to the mid-1900s when LGBTQ people were outcasts — and considered criminals.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
As the unlikely pair of outcasts team up, the kingdom’s ancient history and modern politics throw unexpected wrinkles into their quest to clear Ballister’s name.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
That’s Spanish for Saint Death, a scythe-wielding skeleton folk saint popular in Latin America as a guardian of outcasts.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
The Twits don’t have a change of heart and end up as outcasts once more, but the film frames Beesha’s mercy toward them in a positive light.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Badly in Love brings together societal outcasts — individuals who have lived beyond conventional rules and etiquette — in search of love and redemption.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
When snowboarding was first created, mountains banned snowboards from ski lifts because they were stigmatized by association with outcasts and misfits.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Oak Lawn’s history of being a haven for the LGBTQ community dates back to the mid-1900s when LGBTQ people were outcasts — and considered criminals.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
As the unlikely pair of outcasts team up, the kingdom’s ancient history and modern politics throw unexpected wrinkles into their quest to clear Ballister’s name.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
That’s Spanish for Saint Death, a scythe-wielding skeleton folk saint popular in Latin America as a guardian of outcasts.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
The Twits don’t have a change of heart and end up as outcasts once more, but the film frames Beesha’s mercy toward them in a positive light.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outcasts
Noun
-
Traditionally, scientists and doctors who have questioned vaccine safety, and even the benefits of vaccines, have quickly become pariahs.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Few if any of the originators attend now that the Santas are less social pariahs and law breakers and more fraternity brothers and junior bankers.—
Chuck Palahniuk,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Remember, the Lord Jesus did not fear lepers, and leprosy was (and continues to be) a highly contagious infectious disease.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The town serves as the backdrop for what many surrounding the production consider the creative high point of the season — an episode 5 spaghetti western side mission that involves lepers, eye-gauging vultures, and a train pulled by zombies.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In it, Jackson Lamb (Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and the rest of the MI5 rejects are on the case — and a bit on the defense.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Being chosen to participate in such a landmark season is a dream and knowing all the castaways that did not make it here is humbling.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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The cafe’s opening in the 305 is pegged to the 50th season of the iconic series, in which a group of castaways in a remote location are forced to fend for themselves while the world watches.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The exiles who fled immediately after the 1959 revolution for political reasons constitute a smaller share of the overall Cuban diaspora than commonly assumed.—
Michael Paarlberg,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
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Legal cases in Spain Concerns over Rodríguez Torres’ human-rights record have also reached Spanish courts, where a group of Venezuelan exiles filed a criminal complaint accusing him of torture and crimes against humanity.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outcasts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outcasts. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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