1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
an outlandish outfit made entirely out of bottle caps
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exotic
excitingly or mysteriously unusual
the outlandish tribal rituals that astonished early explorers of that land
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outlandish
There was something so liberating about seeing a character be this outlandish and impossible and endearing.
—
Rachel Handler, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
In decades past, alternative therapies may not have seemed so outlandish compared with conventional therapies, which often had significant side effects and limited efficacy.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The former mayor slightly raised taxes on the wealthy to fund outlandish communist programs like … pre-K, but was stymied by Albany in his more ambitious efforts.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The strange outsider's jaunt through Earth's cosmic neighborhood has sparked widespread public fascination and plenty of outlandish conspiracy theories regarding its nature.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outlandish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlandish
Adjective
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His work is marked by unusual, even bizarre, material choices that encrust spatial compositions reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative open space plans.—
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Some unnamed Chicago bartender in the early 1880s had the improbable idea of taking a Whiskey Sour and adding a little red wine to the top, inventing in a bizarre flash of insightone of the great warm weather whiskey drinks of our time.—
Adjective
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The neighborhood/area Mount Etna’s dark mass looms over Zash and the surrounding area, conferring special energy and fertile soil where olive groves, fruit trees, and more exotic cacti and banana trees vie for space.—
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The shift could eliminate the need for exotic, unproven optical packages designed simply to replace a short-reach cable.—
Adjective
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The sounds had become a strange new normal for the diverse Central neighborhood.—
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And there was a strange preoccupation with running out of time, even though the show ended a good 15 minutes early as if the performers didn’t understand their own timeline.—
Adjective
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While Paris is often framed as endlessly romantic, Wells says the day-to-day realities can be isolating.—
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Safe to say a breakup album is off the table, as the artist is back in her romantic era.—
Adjective
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To the contrary, though the film is frequently funny, Brewer takes their ambitions and reversals seriously.—
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Hockey is a funny game sometimes.—
Adjective
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The then-unknown Michael Shannon, whose early career roles in Chicago were every bit as weird as this play, starred in that production.—
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But this year, due to weird scheduling, the BAFTA nods will come out on January 27, after the Oscar nominations.—
Adjective
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Toronto netminder Dennis Hildeby stoned Trevor Zegras on a breakaway, and later made consecutive saves on Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier to spring the odd-man rush that led to Cowan's goal.—
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The details of Cooper’s crime seemed too tempting to McNally, a high school dropout turned military-airplane electrician who’d pursued odd jobs and scams since being discharged.—
Adjective
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These large waves can be erratic and unpredictable.—
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The addiction eventually took its toll, and Chase became more erratic and difficult to work with.—
Cite this Entry
“Outlandish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlandish. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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