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Synonym Chooser

How is the word uncanny distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words eerie and weird are common synonyms of uncanny. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

In what contexts can eerie take the place of uncanny?

The words eerie and uncanny are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When would weird be a good substitute for uncanny?

Although the words weird and uncanny have much in common, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

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 uncanny Apple sported a red gingham bikini, her long blonde hair slicked back after a dip in the water — and the resemblance to her mom is uncanny. Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025 Our moments of uncanny convergence—like bumping into an old flame at the exact right (or wrong) time—function like indulgences did in the days of Martin Luther, tempting us in the promise of paradise. Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025 The silence over the weekend on Via Bergognone, home to Giorgio Armani‘s Teatro, was uncanny. Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025 Javonte had the uncanny ability to run at a level lower than his assailants while, at the same time, maintaining his feet, keeping his balance and not letting his knees scrape the turf. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncanny
Adjective
  • With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Beyond this, the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-Ray observatory also studied this spiral galaxy repeatedly and found mysterious regions known as ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs).
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Stuart sees a 20% chance that progress will continue until AI achieves superhuman intelligence.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Victor fine-tunes his research, and eventually succeeds in bringing to life a patchwork man of superhuman strength, put together with body parts plucked from corpses left behind on a battlefield.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The Wax Child is an eerie, unsettling book about a group of women who have apparently been possessed and empowered by a tall and headless Devil.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Uckotter’s eerie depictions of attics, slip dresses, and toys calls to mind the cinematic worlds created by David Lynch.
    Grace Byron, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But Fellowes remains cryptic when asked about possible spinoff series or films.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The Maine native has a history of using her outfits to send cryptic messages.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bradley McCroskey caught a miraculous 26-yard touchdown pass on the final play of regulation, then Temi Ericson raced nearly untouched for a 25-yard TD in overtime to give the Indians a 34-28 victory.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Every bite elicits wonder, provoking a quiet moment of gratitude for this lush, miraculous habitat.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Flash forward to Kubrick’s haunting final act when astronaut Dave Bowman is ensconced, spacesuit in tow, in a bizarre, futuristic rococo hotel suite.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • During the eight-day cruise, guests will visit the terra-cotta temples in Kalna, the Nawabi palaces of Murshidabad, the Mughal gardens of Khushbagh, the haunting ruins of Gaur, and Mayapur’s sprawling Hare Krishna complex.
    Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet Blanc’s real faith lies in the nearly mystic quality involved in seeing what the human animal is capable of.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In fact, the concept means to be a resistance against what the early-twentieth-century Catholic mystic philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin called the noosphere, which for him converges throughout human history.
    Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The plaque used the words magical, alluring, galvanizing and adventurous, and their initials spelled MAGA.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Or, for something simpler and just as magical, step outside after dark and watch the Milky Way stretch and swirl above you.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uncanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncanny. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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