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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unorthodox
The Trump administration has exercised various unorthodox methods for its mass deportation and border security plans since returning to office in January.
—
Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2025
Canada and some European countries are openly questioning the wisdom of acquiring America’s fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth jet in light of the mercurial and unorthodox policies of the Trump administration.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Étoile’s initially unwieldy ensemble also includes Tobias Bell (Maisel’s Gideon Glick), a fragile, neurotic American choreographer whose unorthodox style challenges tradition-loving French audiences.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
Something their protagonists have in common with great fictional detectives is an unorthodox set of personal habits, combined with an idiosyncratically skewed moral compass.
—Talya Zax, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2025
Canada and some European countries are openly questioning the wisdom of acquiring America’s fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth jet in light of the mercurial and unorthodox policies of the Trump administration.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Étoile’s initially unwieldy ensemble also includes Tobias Bell (Maisel’s Gideon Glick), a fragile, neurotic American choreographer whose unorthodox style challenges tradition-loving French audiences.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
Something their protagonists have in common with great fictional detectives is an unorthodox set of personal habits, combined with an idiosyncratically skewed moral compass.
—Talya Zax, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unorthodox
Adjective
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But his sponsor’s unconventional approach pulls Peter further off course and pushes him into a living hell that’ll take far more than 12 steps to escape.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
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Kennedy has drawn attention for his unconventional approaches to health and wellness, during his presidential campaign and in the months after joining the Trump administration.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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His visit is a divergence from the tradition among modern U.S. presidents to visit Mexico or Canada during their first foreign trip, which comes after his administration levied tariffs against the neighboring nations early in his term.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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Cosby is a gifted novelist whose passionate writing about the modern South has garnered him much critical praise and the admiration of President Obama.—
Chris Vognar,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The case underscores the potential risks of informal workplace activities, particularly those involving personality assessments or character comparisons.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Directed by Jonathan Zawada—the artist billed as the duo’s informal third member, having made eerie shorts for all the prior singles—the new video depicts a limber skeleton delivering sparkling souls across a digital sea.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Putin has rehabilitated the World War II–era Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who, as the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov has said, was directly responsible for even more millions of deaths than Hitler.—
ANTONY BEEVOR,
Foreign Affairs,
7 May 2025
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Other members of the dissident community, however, remained suspicious of Wang’s conduct.—
Brian Nishii Tanya Pérez Quinton Kamara,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Republicans have painted their deportation push as a commonsense measure being obstructed by out-of-touch liberal élites siding with bloodthirsty criminals.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
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The ice cream company is known for supporting liberal causes and candidates.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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For now, there’s nothing quite so out-there, although deer blood is the star ingredient in the final dessert, a chocolate-ish (but cocoa-free) fondant served with hazelnut praline and malt ice cream.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 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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The resulting feed, shown in this article as a selection of posts curated from the much larger set, revealed ample praise for Mr. Musk and his various priorities, mixed with a torrent of right-wing outrage over progressive politics.—
Stuart A. Thompson,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Even from a progressive perspective, there is a glaring disconnect between his rhetoric and reality.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Now, a radical shift is taking place under President Trump.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
19 May 2025
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Believing radical change requires violence to overthrow the old order, the two women and their fellow comrades launch an armed attack on wealthy landowners in a stately villa.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unorthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unorthodox. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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