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as in adopted
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Recent Examples of orphaned
Now off the ground, with production underway in Toronto, The Temple follows Jonathan Baby, an orphaned millionaire who enlists the help of a radiation scientist to communicate with the ghosts of his parents.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
Wuthering Heights follows Catherine and Heathcliff, who first meet as children when the Earnshaw family takes the orphaned Heathcliff into their home.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Every year, thousands of injured, sick or orphaned animals are brought to the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in west suburban Glen Ellyn for treatment.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Owners Chuch and Lou Ann Best taught the orphaned squirrel to water ski, at first, as a joke.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2026
In the end, instead of an orphaned youth discovering his mysterious power to save the world, Josh Brownhill fired home to avoid extra time in a game that barely merited 90 minutes.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Her newest is about the unlikely friendship that develops between a rescue dog and an orphaned cheetah who are paired together by a zoo.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
The story follows an orphaned 11-year-old musical prodigy who runs away to New York to find his parents, who are both former musicians, and begins performing on the street in his quest to locate them.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025
This outline of Datini’s life and afterlife—an orphan with no children of his own becomes a benefactor of orphaned children—draws a pleasing circle.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
Wuthering Heights follows Catherine and Heathcliff, who first meet as children when the Earnshaw family takes the orphaned Heathcliff into their home.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Every year, thousands of injured, sick or orphaned animals are brought to the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in west suburban Glen Ellyn for treatment.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Owners Chuch and Lou Ann Best taught the orphaned squirrel to water ski, at first, as a joke.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2026
In the end, instead of an orphaned youth discovering his mysterious power to save the world, Josh Brownhill fired home to avoid extra time in a game that barely merited 90 minutes.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Her newest is about the unlikely friendship that develops between a rescue dog and an orphaned cheetah who are paired together by a zoo.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
The story follows an orphaned 11-year-old musical prodigy who runs away to New York to find his parents, who are both former musicians, and begins performing on the street in his quest to locate them.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025
This outline of Datini’s life and afterlife—an orphan with no children of his own becomes a benefactor of orphaned children—draws a pleasing circle.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orphaned
Adjective
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Several conspiracy theories have emerged in the wake of the assassination, taking an emotional toll on the widowed mother of two.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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With Season 4 comes a potential new flame for the widowed Violet (Ruth Gemmell) in the form of one Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The scene from my dream is commonplace not only in my adopted home, the United States, and other liberal democracies, but even, in a constrained fashion, in the neighboring Turkey and Pakistan.—
Arash Azizi,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Thus, when Craig finally meets his Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), this version is not just his nemesis but his adopted brother, as the series continues unraveling the man behind the spy.—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But survivors and bereaved families of the deceased hostages are more critical of the government celebrations.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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The criticisms were contained in reports into the deaths of 48 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and centred on the lack of safety provisions made on construction sites, the failure to properly investigate accidents and the speed with which bereaved families are compensated.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Orphaned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orphaned. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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