1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
a number of uncanny parallels in the lives of the twins who had been separated at birth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature
an uncanny gift for knowing when someone, no matter how distant, needed help
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eerie
fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic
uncanny and unexpected shadows along the mountainsides
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of uncanny
The most uncanny moments of the trial were when the two worlds intersected.
—
Katie Ebner-Landy, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
His colorful goal calls, baritone pipes and uncanny feel for hockey turned him into a Pittsburgh legend, and in the years before Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby became household names in Pittsburgh, the city’s hockey franchise had one star — the play-by-play man.
—Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Du Maurier makes good use of many of the usual tropes of the Gothic genre, especially uncanny doubling: Relentlessly and unfavorably compared to the Manderley estate’s bewitching former mistress, the nameless narrator is pushed to the brink of sanity by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.
—M.l. Rio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Those retouching features can look uncanny, though, and are processor-intensive.
—PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Katie Ebner-Landy, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
His colorful goal calls, baritone pipes and uncanny feel for hockey turned him into a Pittsburgh legend, and in the years before Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby became household names in Pittsburgh, the city’s hockey franchise had one star — the play-by-play man.
—Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Du Maurier makes good use of many of the usual tropes of the Gothic genre, especially uncanny doubling: Relentlessly and unfavorably compared to the Manderley estate’s bewitching former mistress, the nameless narrator is pushed to the brink of sanity by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.
—M.l. Rio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Those retouching features can look uncanny, though, and are processor-intensive.
—PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncanny
Adjective
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During the course of the series, Mullen's investigation into the cyberattack unearths the mysterious weapon.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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There are dramatic headlines, nonsensical abbreviations and mysterious trends that seem to erase people’s money.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cho’s answer was to tackle the concerto with superhuman precision, like a meticulous assassin leaving behind no evidence.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
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His position that requires superhuman capacities for discernment, judgment, manipulation, and self-protection—capacities demanded and cultivated in smaller amounts in everyday citizens.—
Philip Tinari,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, those of us on Earth will witness the same event as a total lunar eclipse, turning the moon a deep, eerie red.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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For 65 minutes, the moon will take on eerie shades of orange and red — a result of sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere. 5.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Tell me more about the album’s title—is it supposed to be a little cryptic?—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2025
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Prologue was first announced in 2019 with a cryptic trailer that showed a first-person view of a storm crashing through a dark forest.—
Issy van der Velde,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Now, in order to help Ao Bing’s soul recover his tangible body, Ne Zha will have to hide his identity as a demon, overcome multiple obstacles to become an immortal, and obtain a miraculous elixir to aid his pal.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2025
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Over the past 50 years, medicine has made miraculous advances in treating leukemia and other cancers affecting kids, largely due to research supported by the National Institutes of Health.—
Benjamin Mazer,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But Dammers knew that the most haunting music often sits right on the edge of corny muzak.—
Ian Penman,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
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The scene when Dagmar forces Karoline to crush an infant between the two women’s bodies is haunting.—
Brande Victorian,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Founded on the ethos of art as a form of mystic healing, the label reimagines the family heirloom—and invites its patrons to examine their relationship with objects.—
Nia Shumake,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
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Healy Lake members have long considered their dogs to be mystic companions, according to Combs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In this real-life fairy tale, Meg Ray, owner of the beloved Bay Area patisserie Miette, embarks on a five-year odyssey to help save a magical café on the remote Swedish island of Rödlöga.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
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And also the feelings of you live in this magical world and you are being prevented from interacting with it because of ableism.—
Esme Mazzeo,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncanny. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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