1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
a number of uncanny parallels in the lives of the twins who had been separated at birth
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2
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature
an uncanny gift for knowing when someone, no matter how distant, needed help
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3
as in eerie
fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic
uncanny and unexpected shadows along the mountainsides
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of uncanny
That sense of the uncanny is, to me, at the heart of most good mysteries.
—
Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
That the vice president would be more amusing with less hair, a perfectly rounded face, and an uncanny, doll-like stare?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
In Girls with Long Shadows, the triplets are linked by that uncanny psychological and physical sibling familiarity; if one sister has a headache, the other two’s temples pulse with empathetic pain.
—Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
The narrator of this atmospheric thriller, an excursion into the uncanny, is a lawyer based in New Haven who inherits a large house on the coast of Massachusetts.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
That the vice president would be more amusing with less hair, a perfectly rounded face, and an uncanny, doll-like stare?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
In Girls with Long Shadows, the triplets are linked by that uncanny psychological and physical sibling familiarity; if one sister has a headache, the other two’s temples pulse with empathetic pain.
—Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
The narrator of this atmospheric thriller, an excursion into the uncanny, is a lawyer based in New Haven who inherits a large house on the coast of Massachusetts.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncanny
Adjective
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In The Old Guard 2, following on from the climax of the first film, Andy must come to terms with her newfound mortality while preparing to face a mysterious foe (played by Uma Thurman).—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
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Before long, his life is plagued by a series of mysterious, sinister incidents that threaten to upend his success and bring about a most violent demise.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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AIs can consider more factors in their decisions than humans can, and this can endow them with superhuman performance on specialized tasks.—
Bruce Schneier,
The Conversation,
16 June 2025
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With his sword, superhuman strength, and loyal friends, He-Man defends Eternia and the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the forces of the evil sorcerer Skeletor.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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Now the eight-episode second season promises more deadpan humor, soulless glares and even a Lady Gaga cameo as Wednesday takes on another eerie supernatural mystery at Nevermore Academy.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Instead, what ensued was an eerie redux of another Wimbledon lion’s last stand.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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On Thursday, Bloom shared a series of cryptic quotes from Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung on Instagram.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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The team also discovered two more new species: the cryptic Namib day gecko and the miniature Namib day gecko.—
Aspen Pflughoeft
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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The fact that any programming – sports or not – can cut through that clutter and reach 10 million or more households is frankly miraculous at this point.—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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And then there’s The Big Piece, a feat of recovery that feels miraculous for entirely different reasons.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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Antarctica's crimson waterfall is truly haunting, and very few people ever see it in person.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
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For five seasons, creator and host Rod Serling guided unsuspecting viewers through some of the most haunting, macabre stories ever told.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
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In an era when nearly everything feels politicized and uncertain, these mystic tools offer something precious: a means of reconnecting with ourselves.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who listens to the Randolphs, who live on the property of the Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery, will get an earful on how beautiful, magical and serene the Big Cypress National Preserve is.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
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Many climate researchers consider this magical thinking.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncanny. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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