1
as in unconventional
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
a time when people with unorthodox religious views were banished from the colony
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2
as in modern
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
raised by an aunt, whose unorthodox parenting practices made for a strange but fun childhood
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3
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
an unorthodox but effective procedure for opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew
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Recent Examples of unorthodox
Biden Pardons: In an unorthodox move, Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, is questioning former President Biden’s family and former White House officials about clemency.
—
Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In golf, Jim Furyk (2003 US open winner) and Scottie Scheffler (2022 and 2024 Masters winner), have unorthodox swings, the latter particularly when driving.
—Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Then giving them a Sherlock-Watson archetype is Park, who partners with Aduba’s Cordelia to solve the crime, but not without some skepticism for her unorthodox methods.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
Rather than trying to disappear, the unorthodox geometric shapes aimed to confuse an observer’s perception of a ship’s movement and orientation from a distance.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In golf, Jim Furyk (2003 US open winner) and Scottie Scheffler (2022 and 2024 Masters winner), have unorthodox swings, the latter particularly when driving.
—Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Then giving them a Sherlock-Watson archetype is Park, who partners with Aduba’s Cordelia to solve the crime, but not without some skepticism for her unorthodox methods.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
Rather than trying to disappear, the unorthodox geometric shapes aimed to confuse an observer’s perception of a ship’s movement and orientation from a distance.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unorthodox
Adjective
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These unconventional or niche markets—whether they’re built around specific lifestyles, cultural shifts, unique services, or underserved consumer segments—can offer less competition, more loyal customers, and a sharper opportunity to stand out.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Turn a Closet into a Book Nook In this bedroom, as well as the other two in the house, Allison made the unconventional decision to remove the closets.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The curved, low-profile silhouette creates a modern spin on the otherwise classic design, while the chair’s high-density foam filling offers superior support.—
Megan Schaltegger,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Most of the modern canal network originally dates to pre-Hispanic times, more than 1400 years ago.—
Ari Caramanica,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Bloomberg has gone so far as to report that Zaslav is in early, informal talks regarding potential successors.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2025
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The expectation has always been that the president would behave in a certain way, abiding by a generations-long yet informal agreement about the role and discretion of the administrative state.—
Jay Cost,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) had to flee his home country to evade an eight-year prison sentence last year.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Mar. 2025
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When asked questions related to Chinese dissident contemporary artists Ai Weiwei and Gao Zhen (of the Gao Brothers duo), DeepSeek’s replies appeared biased in favor of China’s government.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Rest assured, the play makes liberal use of the Netflix show’s signature electro-ethereal theme music.—
Sarah Bahr,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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The Supreme Court declined to lift the lower court’s order, with Barrett and another conservative, Chief Justice John Roberts, joining the three liberal justices: Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sotomayor.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Every decade in fact seems to have had its own rabble-rouser whose shunning of norms have pushed the medium further and further, even if their own material was too out-there to gain a wide audience.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
28 Mar. 2025
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An out-there premise, for sure, but one that has so far worked out better than anyone had a right to expect.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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California voters further reversed progressive policies by passing Proposition 36, which enhances penalties for theft and drug offenses.—
Carson Becker,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
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Alon-Lee Green, the founding co-director of Standing Together, a progressive grassroots movement, told CNN that young people aren’t at fault for the extremist attitudes that are dividing wider Israeli society.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In his second term, however, Trump is accompanying radical rhetoric about regional hegemony with real action.—
MATIAS SPEKTOR,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Apr. 2025
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In 1970, Santoro joined the radical Roman feminist group Rivolta Femminile (Women’s Revolt), founded that year by art critic and philosopher Carla Lonzi together with artist Carla Accardi and political journalist Elvira Banotti.—
Paola Ugolini,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unorthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unorthodox. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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