ˌən-ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
the physicist, now regarded as one of the brightest minds in science, was an unexceptional student as a child
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unexceptional
The titular protagonist is an unexceptional accountant.
—
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Image In Mill Valley, a rather unexceptional house can cost $2 million, and life is good for those who can afford it.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
This should be routine, unexceptional, unremarkable.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Apr. 2025
The Zapad exercises were unexceptional in and of themselves.
—Emily Ferris, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2017
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Image In Mill Valley, a rather unexceptional house can cost $2 million, and life is good for those who can afford it.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
This should be routine, unexceptional, unremarkable.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Apr. 2025
The Zapad exercises were unexceptional in and of themselves.
—Emily Ferris, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2017
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexceptional
Adjective
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What once felt like science fiction is soon going to become totally normal.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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But these are not normal times — especially for Casey Wasserman.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The big names brought national attention to the theft ring, but other targets slipped by the news media, just as an ordinary burglary might.—
Bebe Hodges,
The Enquirer,
25 Aug. 2025
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Wide yellow sands, endless skies, and the tang of salt in the air that had seemed ordinary in childhood suddenly felt magnetic.—
Rohan Banerjee,
Time,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Patrick Iversen will be back with our usual twice-weekly newsletter releases from next week. F1 2025’s Remaining Themes The biggest talking points of the season run-in 1.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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The eat-in kitchen has your usual niceties — a stainless-steel farmhouse sink, quartz counters, a walk-in pantry — while the three bedrooms upstairs all are comfortably sized.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The average team is worth $7.13 billion, up 20% from a year ago.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
14 Aug. 2025
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For Steele, the trip was markedly different from the average — massive camera crew aside — in both practical and intangible ways.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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On a typical weekday, only two of them are occupied, though when the campus is crowded for, say, a football game day, they can all be staffed simultaneously.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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As for the project’s quick turnaround amid her ongoing Short n’ Sweet Tour, Carpenter simply chose to follow her creative instincts while ignoring typical music industry guidance to space out albums with at least a few years.—
Chris Malone Méndez,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Losing fingernails over special teams is commonplace in the NFL.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Aug. 2025
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What feels radical today—AI handling most initial alert triage—may be commonplace in just a few years.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The end result: another characteristically unremarkable season for a program that hasn’t risen above mediocrity since most of its current players were toddlers.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
28 Aug. 2025
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These unofficial remixes, uploaded from unremarkable accounts, create a kind of Satie-esque audio overdose, pounding the band’s melody into abstraction, pure stimulus.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unexceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexceptional. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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