as in unusual
being out of the ordinary
even weather forecasters seemed surprised by the freak hailstorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in anomaly
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal
that snowstorm in April was a freak, since our weather is usually much balmier by then
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a hockey freak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
suddenly had the bizarre freak to take a road trip across the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in addict
slang
a person who regularly uses drugs especially illegally
he knew that he'd never get his life in order if he continued to hang out with the crystal meth freaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 freak
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2023
Her young niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), is on a ski trip with her parents when, in a freak accident, their car is run over by a snowplow.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Jan. 2023
Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 24 Jan. 2023
The menu offers appetizers like hummus, 12-inch pizzas, like the meat freak, made with red sauce, mozzarella, sausage, bacon, pepperoni, grilled chicken and oregano flakes.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for freak 
Adjective
An Army hockey player was cut in the neck in a freak accident during a game at Sacred Heart on Thursday night, leaving a bloody trail on the ice at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2023
Her young niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), is on a ski trip with her parents when, in a freak accident, their car is run over by a snowplow.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Jan. 2023
Noun
Here is the essential guide to making your house clean enough to satisfy your most critical inner neat freak and launch you into summer with a house that actually shines.
—Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 24 Jan. 2023
The menu offers appetizers like hummus, 12-inch pizzas, like the meat freak, made with red sauce, mozzarella, sausage, bacon, pepperoni, grilled chicken and oregano flakes.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for freak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak
Adjective
-
Such views are unusual, given how negative Chinese public opinion is about Japan, and vice versa.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Not fun: conflating all unusual, standalone, departure, or otherwise distinctive episodes into the term bottle episode.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The inadequate staffing at the Reagan airport tower was also hardly an anomaly.—
Kaanita Iyer,
CNN,
2 Feb. 2025
-
But the shocking bath the owners of 70 W. Madison took is hardly an anomaly.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The film has become an event, a must-see for movie lovers.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Baldoni specifically alleged that Lively used her friendship with Swift to put pressure on him to comply with Lively’s re-write of a crucial scene in the domestic violence drama in which Lively and Baldoni play lovers.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Still, there were no guarantees of how much green steel tech Gary would get; a company town inevitably depends on the whims and fortunes of its company.—
Paige Williams,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
But this has also been driven by Russian threats and growing recognition that European security should be less dependent on the whims of Washington.—
Isabelle Khurshudyan and Ellen Francis The Washington Post,
arkansasonline.com,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Yes, former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams made a threat against the group a while back, but he’s gone now and the feds should focus on real crimes and pursue the dealers and traffickers instead of the poor addicts.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Au contraire, the new law and the accompanying abundance of product draw addicts to the state like liquid into a syringe.—
Matt Thompson,
SPIN,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Drivers hover by the gates to transport you off on a moment’s notice: the spa, paddle, pickle, and tennis courts, the local waterfalls, the extraordinary hikes, the water sports, chocolate making.—
Giles Hattersley,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
-
There remain several unanswered questions about the lead-up to the extraordinary decision, including how many times Mr. Spiro and Mr. Bove interacted.—
Michael S. Schmidt,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a gene known as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), says Basavaraj.—
Daryl Austin,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Researchers have found that a translocation mutation (when part of a chromosome attaches to a different one) may cause the oncogenes to multiply too quickly and lead to cancer.2 Is Multiple Myeloma Hereditary? Multiple myeloma may be partly hereditary.—
Carrie Madormo, RN,
Health,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
More great reads Column: Super Bowl sucker no more.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Another place where suckers may pop up is below the bud union on the tree, where the citrus variety was grafted onto the rootstock.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to freak
Thesaurus Entries Near freak
Cite this Entry
“Freak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share