1
as in ornamental
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
be careful of the fragile curios on the end tables
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in rarity
something strange or unusual that is an object of interest
a museum's collection of curios brought back from the Far East by 19th-century traders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of curio
Consider a curio cabinet or shadow box to highlight sentimental items in an organized manner.
—
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Dec. 2025
Hamnet is a somber watch, much more nakedly sentimental and weepy than Zhao’s other films (including the wonderful neo-Western The Rider, the Oscar-winning drama Nomadland, and the Marvel curio Eternals).
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2025
Advertisement While most fish-out-of-water stories are keen to highlight the strangeness of the world in which the protagonist has embedded themselves, Rental Family treats the curios of Japanese culture with the utmost respect and a naturalistic approach.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
Ever since its London premiere in 1986, folks have tried and failed to crack this convoluted curio of a musical, which follows a Cold War-era love triangle set in the cutthroat world of competitive chess.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for curio
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Dec. 2025
Hamnet is a somber watch, much more nakedly sentimental and weepy than Zhao’s other films (including the wonderful neo-Western The Rider, the Oscar-winning drama Nomadland, and the Marvel curio Eternals).
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2025
Advertisement While most fish-out-of-water stories are keen to highlight the strangeness of the world in which the protagonist has embedded themselves, Rental Family treats the curios of Japanese culture with the utmost respect and a naturalistic approach.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 21 Nov. 2025
Ever since its London premiere in 1986, folks have tried and failed to crack this convoluted curio of a musical, which follows a Cold War-era love triangle set in the cutthroat world of competitive chess.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for curio
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curio
Noun
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The beds are planted with a mix of edibles and ornamentals that can be enjoyed from the sitting area.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
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Prune ornamental grasses to within a foot or two of the ground before growth begins.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Temperatures remained solidly below freezing during both daytime and nighttime for several consecutive days — a rarity at a statewide scale for Texas.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
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Eyes turn to this one because a win here seals a second straight league title for Methuen/Tewksbury (15-0-2), which is a rarity in the MVC/DCL Large.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its Travel Facts section listed everything from voltage requirements and cultural norms to what kind of food and souvenirs visitors would find.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2026
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Out on the sidewalk and behind barriers, lookie-loos crane their necks for a peek at the competitors, while pin traders mill through the churning crowd in hopes of making a souvenir swap.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Click up to Sport or Race mode (available selections also include Wet, Comfort, and ESC Off), and suddenly the continent-crosser morphs into a high-strung canyon carver, one with enough punch to hang with more-muscular exotics.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2026
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These results further reinforced the depth of demand across both European exotics and culturally significant collector cars.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The act does allow novelty items such as sparklers, which are sticks of magnesium burning at up to 3,000 degrees.—
Brad Weisenstein,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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At first, the medals were a cool, shiny novelty.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Whether antiques, cherished knickknacks, or heirlooms, items that are very delicate and/or precious to the customer are typically items house cleaners won’t want to mess with in order to cut down the risk of damaging them.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
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Displaying books, plants, and knickknacks in your office looks extra stylish with this set of four wall cubbies; the top of each cubby offers extra open space to store even more items.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curio.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curio. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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