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Synonym Chooser

How is the word bizarre different from other adjectives like it?

The words fantastic and grotesque are common synonyms of bizarre. While all three words mean "conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality," bizarre applies to the sensationally strange and implies violence of contrast or incongruity of combination.

a bizarre medieval castle in the heart of a modern city

When can fantastic be used instead of bizarre?

While the synonyms fantastic and bizarre are close in meaning, fantastic may connote extravagance in conception or ingenuity of decorative invention.

dreamed up fantastic rumors

When might grotesque be a better fit than bizarre?

Although the words grotesque and bizarre have much in common, grotesque may apply to what is conventionally ugly but artistically effective or it may connote ludicrous awkwardness or incongruity often with sinister or tragic overtones.

grotesque statues on the cathedral
though grieving, she made a grotesque attempt at a smile

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 bizarre The latest exhibit is the Justice Department’s bizarre legal filing in a lawsuit (Children’s Health Defense v. WP Company) by anti-vaccine activists against media companies. The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025 Except his competition this time isn’t Shooter McGavin, his arch-nemesis from the first film, but rather an upstart group called Maxi Golf, a bizarre new concept featuring show biz embellishments and golfers who’ve been surgically enhanced to improve their swings. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025 But when his widow married his best friend just a few years after, the family started to get suspicious and started an investigation that unraveled a bizarre plot of betrayal and bad behavior. PC Magazine, 25 July 2025 These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bizarre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bizarre
Adjective
  • From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.
    Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • So, the strange powder got a chemical foot in the door.
    David Szondy August 02, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
  • No other high-profile footballer in the world has followed such a strange career arc, one that for at least two years has been leading him, circuitously but inexorably, to Saudi Arabia.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.
    Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Because this is college football, there are lots of weird details.
    Jason Kirk, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The Earrings of Madame de… is a weird morality tale—heavy on dramatic irony, and EXCELLENT dresses.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Controllable pitching is hard to come by in the big leagues, and the Pirates would be foolish to trade him away after signing him to a big contract.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
  • Any in-depth evaluation would be foolish until Monday, when players don pads and the pass rush speeds McCarthy up even further.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • The ever-changing face of modern gin has birthed many styles to pique the palate of the gin aficionado—or anyone partial to the odd G&T.
    Camille Berry, Vogue, 15 July 2025
  • Depicted as short and animalistic in the comics, the tall, hunky Jackman seemed like an odd fit, but his interpretation of the retractable-clawed superhero is now definitive in mainstream popular culture.
    EW.com, EW.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Richardson was the 4th overall pick in the NFL Draft, which should give him another opportunity to start over Daniel Jones and also showcase his unreal upside.
    Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • Victoria Falls is such an incredibly special and beautiful place, so to be so completely surrounded by and immersed in the falls was unreal.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Chuck Lorre is back with yet another laugh-out-loud funny show to add to his TV universe.
    Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 31 July 2025
  • When something bad happens, five seconds later, something funny in life happens.
    EW.com, EW.com, 31 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bizarre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bizarre. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bizarre

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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