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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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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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
That sense of the uncanny is, to me, at the heart of most good mysteries.
—
Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
That the vice president would be more amusing with less hair, a perfectly rounded face, and an uncanny, doll-like stare?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
In Girls with Long Shadows, the triplets are linked by that uncanny psychological and physical sibling familiarity; if one sister has a headache, the other two’s temples pulse with empathetic pain.
—Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
The narrator of this atmospheric thriller, an excursion into the uncanny, is a lawyer based in New Haven who inherits a large house on the coast of Massachusetts.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
That the vice president would be more amusing with less hair, a perfectly rounded face, and an uncanny, doll-like stare?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
In Girls with Long Shadows, the triplets are linked by that uncanny psychological and physical sibling familiarity; if one sister has a headache, the other two’s temples pulse with empathetic pain.
—Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
The narrator of this atmospheric thriller, an excursion into the uncanny, is a lawyer based in New Haven who inherits a large house on the coast of Massachusetts.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncanny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncanny
Adjective
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Scientists will use this data to study dark matter and dark energy, which make up most of the universe but remain mysterious.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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Here's everything to know about the teenager's final hours and the aftermath of her mysterious death.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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The country proves to be an African Shangri-La, where science and spirituality comfortably coexist, with T’Challa the heir to powers of superhuman strength and agility conferred by his ancestral connection to Bast, the powerful panther god.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
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To give it a leg up, though, most teams use sensors like LIDAR and radar which provide superhuman ability.—
Brad Templeton,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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That arrangement builds to an exhilarating climax largely fueled by Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar lead, from the eerie wailing of those high notes to its fiery conclusion.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
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Instead, what ensued was an eerie redux of another Wimbledon lion’s last stand.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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On Thursday, Bloom shared a series of cryptic quotes from Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung on Instagram.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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The team also discovered two more new species: the cryptic Namib day gecko and the miniature Namib day gecko.—
Aspen Pflughoeft
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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The fact that any programming – sports or not – can cut through that clutter and reach 10 million or more households is frankly miraculous at this point.—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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And then there’s The Big Piece, a feat of recovery that feels miraculous for entirely different reasons.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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Antarctica's crimson waterfall is truly haunting, and very few people ever see it in person.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
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For five seasons, creator and host Rod Serling guided unsuspecting viewers through some of the most haunting, macabre stories ever told.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
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In an era when nearly everything feels politicized and uncertain, these mystic tools offer something precious: a means of reconnecting with ourselves.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Location: Chianti Sitting near the border of Tuscany and Umbria, this striking stone villa is befitting of a magical Italian getaway.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
14 July 2025
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The trio secretly use their magical singing powers to protect humans from demonic threats, including a rival boy band of demons, the Saja Boys.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncanny. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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