1
as in anomalies
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lovers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a hockey freak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whims
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 addicts
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 freaks
Life online appears to be neatly divisible, and indeed divided, into freaks on the one hand and, on the other, reasonable people such as yourself.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Its owners, Eric Finkelstein and Matt Ross, are sandwich freaks in the best possible way; on the shop’s vast menu, not a single sandwich is a dud.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
The difference is, when a rando freaks out at Lithgow, it’s not televised.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
To the escorts, the protesters were religious freaks.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Fitness freaks love to flex at Bondi, while party people prefer the many beachside bars and pubs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2025
Nobody made videos in those primitive days, nobody except weird Brit poseurs and art freaks and thirsty postpunk eccentrics, so the network was forced to play them all.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
The eugenics movement raged in America and abroad, and bodies deemed as ‘freaks’ could be subject to investigation, sterilization, or institutionalization.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Its owners, Eric Finkelstein and Matt Ross, are sandwich freaks in the best possible way; on the shop’s vast menu, not a single sandwich is a dud.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
The difference is, when a rando freaks out at Lithgow, it’s not televised.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
To the escorts, the protesters were religious freaks.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Fitness freaks love to flex at Bondi, while party people prefer the many beachside bars and pubs.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2025
Nobody made videos in those primitive days, nobody except weird Brit poseurs and art freaks and thirsty postpunk eccentrics, so the network was forced to play them all.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
The eugenics movement raged in America and abroad, and bodies deemed as ‘freaks’ could be subject to investigation, sterilization, or institutionalization.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freaks
Noun
-
More than 100 vestigial anomalies occur in humans.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Over time, this creates a distinct behavioral dataset for each animal, allowing owners to track trends and detect anomalies on a per-cat basis.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Uncompromising lovers of luxury.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
While the storm is looming, there are new glimmers of possibility—friends can become lovers, strangers can become friends on the subway, the supermarket aisles are charged with meaning.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Every deportation should be based on immigration law, not the whims of ICE nor those of the president.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Uniting best practices in public health and offering further support and coordination to the community violence intervention community, an office would serve as a Chicago department with a set strategy that would not change according to political winds or mayoral whims.—
Michael Pfleger,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nor was the literary confrontation around this time between addicts and killers, illness and crime, limited to conventional crime novels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
AlAnon is a support group for family and friends of alcoholics/addicts.—
Ramona Sentinel,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Invasive vines like Virginia creeper, English ivy, and buckthorn can strangle trees, for example, and some aggressive trees may spread via underground suckers and roots.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
5 Apr. 2026
-
What’s more, these specialized mating suckers are densely packed with neural clusters.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
-
For years, Ye had been obsessed with notions of Jewish villainy, while also identifying himself with Adolf Hitler and Nazis.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That’s why Protect Wyoming is fundraising to educate hunters, anglers, and other outdoor users about why voting matters for public lands, and who to actually vote for.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Tubi has said its Canadian service has grown 30% year-over-year in monthly active users since 2020, and recently struck a long-term strategic partnership with Canadian content giant Bell Media.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The game turned some Wildcat fans into Wolverine fans, at least for one night.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The Hornets have experienced 23 sellouts this season, establishing a new mark in the uptown arena, and exceeded an average of 18,000 fans per game.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freaks. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
