1
as in exceptions
something that is different from what is ordinary or expected
her C grade is an anomaly, as she's never made anything except A's and B's before
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abnormalities
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal
snow in July is an anomaly in most of the northern hemisphere
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 anomalies
The software does not identify species but highlights anomalies, helping inspectors decide which packages deserve closer inspection.
—
Eve Bohnett, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Arranged in grids that connect to low-Earth-orbit satellites, the nodes are capable of collecting and sharing data used to create high-resolution maps of anomalies, miles underground, that might be gold, copper, nickel, lithium, or other minerals.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
These incidents are not anomalies.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
But one difference with particle-physics data is that the anomalies may not be stand-alone objects or events.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Feb. 2026
Beyond weapons diagnostics, the setup could enable studies of sterile neutrinos, axions, or unexplained anomalies seen in reactor antineutrino spectra.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
The goal isn’t just to detect anomalies, but to understand how every change fits into the broader system.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Zillow calculates the value of a typical home using the average middle third of home values (eliminating statistical anomalies at the high and low end).
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The analysis flags anomalies around the shooter’s face.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2026
Eve Bohnett, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Arranged in grids that connect to low-Earth-orbit satellites, the nodes are capable of collecting and sharing data used to create high-resolution maps of anomalies, miles underground, that might be gold, copper, nickel, lithium, or other minerals.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
These incidents are not anomalies.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
But one difference with particle-physics data is that the anomalies may not be stand-alone objects or events.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Feb. 2026
Beyond weapons diagnostics, the setup could enable studies of sterile neutrinos, axions, or unexplained anomalies seen in reactor antineutrino spectra.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
The goal isn’t just to detect anomalies, but to understand how every change fits into the broader system.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Zillow calculates the value of a typical home using the average middle third of home values (eliminating statistical anomalies at the high and low end).
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The analysis flags anomalies around the shooter’s face.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anomalies
Noun
-
The courts have granted exceptions to search without a search warrant and each specific incident should be reviewed based on its facts.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Because the government has halted refugee programs, with a few exceptions, IRIS has no new refugees – people who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, violence or persecution – to help settle.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, other work has shown that people with psychopathy, which often aligns with immoral behavior, have abnormalities in their amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex regions that are directly connected by the uncinate fasciculus.—
Christopher M. Filley,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
-
We’ll be directed to follow a map toward abnormalities around the old zoo.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After putting out Hug of Thunder, one of the best rock albums of that year, Broken Social Scene rolled out their 2019 Let’s Try the After EPs in two volumes, as well as a collection of B-sides and rarities called Old Dead Young in 2022.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Homegrown rarities Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester headlined the ‘13 champions, but Boston’s most recent World Series squad in 2018 boasted a dazzling, but entirely outside rotation.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And in 2023 DeepMind released AlphaMissense, another AI tool that predicts how mutations in the regions of the genome that do generate proteins affect gene function.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Scientists around the world are using molecular scanning tools to hunt for specific mutations – single-letter changes in the parasite’s DNA – that make the parasite more resistant to the drug.—
Kwesi Akonu Adom Mensah Forson,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anomalies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anomalies. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
