as in irrational
very strange or unusual; having the quality of a dream
a surreal atmosphere at the festival The whole situation was completely surreal.
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Recent Examples of surreal
Inspired by a napkin sketch from his early days, the film brings a surreal world to life—one that Bennett says reflects the unfiltered energy of his creative journey.
—
Bryanna Symone, Essence, 10 July 2025
Shaped like a human heart and engineered to actually beat, the Schiaparelli necklace created a dramatic and surreal effect on the runway, where it was showcased by a model wearing a backward red dress.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
But its recurring theme — Ed as a jealous interloper undermining owner Wilbur Post’s domestic life — can be read as a surreal meditation on masculinity, autonomy and repression in suburban America.
—Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Exhibition celebrates the magical, surreal and fantasy works of more than a dozen artists.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surreal
Bryanna Symone, Essence, 10 July 2025
Shaped like a human heart and engineered to actually beat, the Schiaparelli necklace created a dramatic and surreal effect on the runway, where it was showcased by a model wearing a backward red dress.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
But its recurring theme — Ed as a jealous interloper undermining owner Wilbur Post’s domestic life — can be read as a surreal meditation on masculinity, autonomy and repression in suburban America.
—Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Exhibition celebrates the magical, surreal and fantasy works of more than a dozen artists.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surreal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surreal
Adjective
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The firm’s Hype Cycle normalizes — even glamorizes — the irrational, costly overpromising and overselling that hype entails.—
Eric Siegel,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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And even some buyers who pride themselves on discipline and efficiency turn somewhat irrational.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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The Earrings of Madame de… is a weird morality tale—heavy on dramatic irony, and EXCELLENT dresses.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
1 Aug. 2025
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Because this is college football, there are lots of weird details.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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So, the strange powder got a chemical foot in the door.—
David Szondy
August 02,
New Atlas,
2 Aug. 2025
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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
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The same could be true of the recent cost estimates, but construction technology has advanced in the past half century, so that lower costs per mile are not unreasonable.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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His exact demands are unknown but given his status as one of the world’s leading players a range of £250,000 to £300,000 a week is far from unreasonable.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Their target area was unusual, though: a strip of lawn between the road and a fence bordering Interstate 65, where homeless people have set up about two dozen tents over the first half of this year.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 July 2025
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Summer storms cause travel headaches every year, but these numbers are not unusual.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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But the whole beauty and focus of local government is that issues like quality schools or the disaster at the Tijuana River Estuary transcend and sometimes make meaningless party labels.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 July 2025
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These include feeling emotionally numb or that life is meaningless; experiencing difficulty accepting the loss; and experiencing confusion over their own identity.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surreal. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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