1
as in conventional
accepted, used, or practiced by most people
that's not the usual method, but it works
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
the characters in this novel are drawn with greater depth than is usual for a work of science fiction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ubiquitous
often observed or encountered
the usual reaction to the sight of the falls is one of absolute awe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ordinary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 usual
Daniel Payne, STAT, 18 Apr. 2026
Rojo was coaching third base, as usual, Friday.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Aria Bendix, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022
On the first day back, Evans ordered his usual: a single cheeseburger, fries and a Coke.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for usual
Adjective
The order directs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite some psychedelics as breakthrough drugs, as well as allowing them to be used through right-to-try legislation, which allow terminally ill patients to try experimental drugs outside of usual regulatory pathways.
—Daniel Payne, STAT, 18 Apr. 2026
Rojo was coaching third base, as usual, Friday.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
Ebonē Colbert ordered her usual on her weekly trip to Wendy's with her son: a kid’s meal with a plain cheeseburger for him and a Dave’s Single, a burger topped with lettuce and tomato, for herself.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022
On the first day back, Evans ordered his usual: a single cheeseburger, fries and a Coke.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for usual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usual
Adjective
-
Everybody else was of course taller, but not in basketball’s conventional range.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike conventional carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) systems, which require significant external energy to trap and process gases, the new gas battery converts the energy released during gas adsorption directly into electrical power.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Calls to the ships’ operators outside normal working hours either weren’t answered or weren’t immediately returned.—
Julian Lee,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Sanoja has primarily played third base this season, with seven of his nine starts coming there, but his last two starts came in center field on Thursday (to give normal starter Jakob Marsee his first day off from the field) and left field on Friday.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But now the ubiquitous surrogate has resigned from office and suspended his gubernatorial campaign—blowing the California governor’s race wide open.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The release of the iPod marked an inflection point for the company, when its products began to be ubiquitous and market-defining.—
Corina Vanek,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Like his perceptive doc about Joy Division, Everybody Digs Bill Evans is about the ordinary that feeds the extraordinary and leaves us to figure out the rest for ourselves.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Saturday’s wind forecast for Camas Prairie, Idaho.—
Ruby Mellen,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Justin also strayed a little too far from ambrosia salad since his dish didn’t have the customary fluffy texture.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Even so, this play, made out of his Christmas Carol, had become a customary performance in Quincy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My apprenticeship began with a simple disassembly, a typical exercise for new employees.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Frazier described a typical pricing cycle pattern, noting that spot prices move first, before highway contract rates follow suit with a three-to-six-month lag.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials' warnings about national security risks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Its path to passage has teetered all week in a familiar fight, as lawmakers weigh civil liberties concerns against intelligence officials’ warnings about national security risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Under the rules of the International Olympic Committee and IAAF (now World Athletics), track and field’s global governing body, athletes were prohibited from receiving money for their sport.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Both populous nations had formerly been under British colonial rule and were now independent; the British government, led by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, had an interest in maintaining good relations.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Usual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usual. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
