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strange land
surreal land
foreign land
unknown land
strange feelings
peculiar feelings
bizarre feelings
odd feelings
unusual feelings
weird feelings
strange behavior
bizarre behavior
suspicious behavior
odd behavior
unusual behavior
unexpected behavior
strange noises
unusual noises
scary noises
curious noises
peculiar noises
disturbing noises

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 What’s strange is that the market appears to have shrugged off heavy loads that have been weighing it down since March. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 June 2025 My brain was searching for a way to explain this strange woman, for metaphors, or boxes to put her in. James Rebanks june 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025 New Orleans already made somewhat of a strange move this summer, trading C.J. McCollum’s expiring contract for two years of Jordan Poole. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2025 The Dominican Republic had a moment of its own to celebrate in the 51st minute, though its first-ever Gold Cup goal came in strange circumstances. Jon Arnold, New York Times, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for strange
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strange
Adjective
  • While most players at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship are battling the Texas heat, slow play, and a demanding Fields Ranch East layout, Leona Maguire is dealing with something far more bizarre—tick bites!
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
  • And frankly that bizarre idea makes the PEN Charter incoherent too.
    Kamila Shamsie June 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • It’s become soldered to my identity, serving as both the ultimate in-group badge and a versatile stylistic accessory: eye-catching, a bit exotic, an opportunity to add color and flair.
    Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
  • Set theorists have continued to define cardinals that are far more exotic and difficult to describe than Cantor’s.
    Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • This is not an unfamiliar situation—the trust funds faced insolvency back in the early 1980s.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
  • Do not install anything from random links, especially those shared through ads, messages or unfamiliar websites. 2.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • James Hurley gives a moving performance at the Road House outside of Twin Peaks, and learns of an unusual vision experienced by his cockney co-worker at Great Northern security, Freddie, who will defend James from the attack of a jealous husband with a most unusual strength-enhancing glove.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
  • An unusual addition to a historic cityscape courtesy of artist Jason Jones.
    David Morgan, CBS News, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Sometimes your audio is all screwed up and echoing, there are weird pauses everywhere, and nothing interesting gets said.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • People talk about uncanny valley in terms of the look of these robots – there’s kind of a weird uncanny valley thing going on as well with AI artwork.
    Katcy Stephan, Variety, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The two have flirted with the idea of a romantic relationship many times since then, but have yet to truly go there onscreen.
    EW.com, EW.com, 27 June 2025
  • There'd always been someone, not even necessarily a romantic partner.
    Glamour, Glamour, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • This novel satellite system has allowed the researchers to produce the first ever full year of satellite tracking data over Canada, according to Western University.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 June 2025
  • There are some new and novel ideas that might provide a way around this challenge.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Every great American story is sentimental in the same way: instincts born out of struggle, the triumph of the schoolyard over the classroom, uncommon creativity driven by necessity.
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • At the end of the day, the Ducks have an uncommon level of control over personnel between the ability to match any offer sheets to their RFAs and the circumstantial factors surrounding their UFAs.
    Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strange. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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