flukes

plural of fluke
as in accidents
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events the discovery of oil on their property was just an amazing fluke

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flukes Was 2025 the fluke of flukes or a harbinger of something worse to come for Andy Reid and friends? — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026 Their odds of winning the World Series – a famously finicky task prone to small sample size flukes – were over 25%, one-in-four for one of baseball’s 30 teams. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Guests at Brookfield Zoo can identify her in Dolphin Bay by her distinctive features, including a freckle on her tongue, pink coloration on her ventral side, and smaller flukes and dorsal fins in relation to her body size. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 These moments are not flukes either. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Whale song, the splashing of flippers, the flashing of flukes. — Julie Orringer, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026 That kind of overlap across two major rankings signals these aren’t flukes. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026 From a human perspective, whales are born backwards, emerging flukes first. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026 Who knew if these roles were flukes — one-offs, novelties — or if Jerry Adler would defy the odds stacked up against any actor, much less a sexagenarian new to the game, and continue to find work in his newfound profession. — Howard Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flukes
Noun
  • The public health agency also said no biological safety breaches or laboratory accidents occurred at the facility.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The huge crowds were stressful for police, who ended up working longer shifts than usual to deal with traffic, accidents, shoplifting and other issues.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In about nine minutes of time together at 5-on-5, that line held a 12-2 edge in shot attempts over the Ducks, including a 4-0 advantage in shots on goal, 5-2 in scoring chances and 2-0 high-danger chances.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • El Niño also shifts rainfall patterns globally, raising the chances for destructive flooding in some parts of the world.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • It is said that touching the polished engravings of the event placed at the pedestal of the Nepomuk statue will bring luck and ensure a return to Prague.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Playing Stratego well requires randomizing the arrangement of your pieces, so luck always plays a role.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flukes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flukes. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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