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Synonym Chooser

How is the word strange distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of strange are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, singular, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When might eccentric be a better fit than strange?

The meanings of eccentric and strange largely overlap; however, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

When could erratic be used to replace strange?

The words erratic and strange can be used in similar contexts, but erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

In what contexts can odd take the place of strange?

Although the words odd and strange have much in common, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When is it sensible to use outlandish instead of strange?

While in some cases nearly identical to strange, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

When would peculiar be a good substitute for strange?

The synonyms peculiar and strange are sometimes interchangeable, but peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When is quaint a more appropriate choice than strange?

In some situations, the words quaint and strange are roughly equivalent. However, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

Where would singular be a reasonable alternative to strange?

While the synonyms singular and strange are close in meaning, singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When can unique be used instead of strange?

The words unique and strange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strange His strange story thus corroborated, Rip is welcomed back to the village. John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025 Just three minutes into the game, a Mikael Backlund shot took a strange bounce off the end boards. Harman Dayal, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 What continued to bother him was the strange feeling of impending disaster. Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025 Small Prophets is set further north, in suburban Manchester, and begins as a similar story of quiet desperation before branching out into altogether stranger directions. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strange
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strange
Adjective
  • Haji Wright scored against the Netherlands, but off of a bizarre finish.
    Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Known for his comic relief, zany ways of thinking, and cravings for bizarre foods, the audience admires his individuality and loyalty to Scooby.
    Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The 1,400-square-foot store is located in Beverly Grove on West 3rd Street, a building owned by Weinstock since 2012 and previously used as the headquarters for her exotic-skin accessories label.
    Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
  • An exotic invasive tick species was located for the first time in Kansas last week.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Administration had been slow to hire, and many staffers were unfamiliar with the intricacies of bureaucratic combat.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Through hashtags such as #LifeAfterDeportation, creators share clips about finding work, struggling with Spanish, enrolling their kids in school, and other challenges of rebuilding a life in an unfamiliar place.
    Christina Noriega, Refinery29, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This is not unusual, because Mahomes teammates have done that in the past (notably Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and many others).
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Sometimes, Gatlin would also approve invoices from Georgia companies, which would have been unusual given that Jackson Health System and the Foundation usually work with South Florida vendors.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The modern world drives you back underground in a weird way.
    Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
  • One of the most compelling takeaways from the Nuggets’ preseason was David Adelman’s willingness to get weird — a quality that escaped them by the end of Michael Malone’s tenure.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Across age groups, people are leaning on AI for emotional support, companionship and in some cases, romantic connections.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
  • With a collaborative relationship dating back to 2023, Crocs and Simone Rocha have attracted attention with their romantic clog styles in the past few years, gaining stamps of approval from celebrities like Julia Fox and Michelle Yeoh.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Break out of a rut by being open to novel approaches toward love and by being less codependent.
    Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The team employed a novel method using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) directly to the testes.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Such alerts are relatively uncommon for Los Angeles.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The play, by Jordan Ramirez Puckett, follows a mother-son cross-country road trip peppered with the teen’s hip-hop music as a brown son and his white mother seek common ground in their uncommon pasts.
    Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strange. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on strange

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