1
as in extraordinary
being out of the ordinary
an editor with a preternatural sense of what will interest the book-buying public
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in supernatural
of, relating to, or being part of a reality beyond the observable physical universe
an investigator of preternatural phenomena
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature
a preternatural ability to predict how the stock market will perform
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preternatural
Megadeth was fueled by spite, inspired by speed, and enabled by Mustaine’s preternatural gift for Flying V warfare, as well as his knack for asking provocative economic queries about the salability of peace.
—
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Though his language is that of the every day his preternatural instinct for rhythm fills his lines with a bursting musicality.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
There was some hope that Brosmer, who parlayed a combination of accuracy and preternatural processing skills into a roster spot out of training camp, might surprise everyone by running an efficient ship on Sunday.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2025
The most straightforward way to account for this preternatural smoothness is a period of inflation that provides time for the baby universe to reach a uniform temperature.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preternatural
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Though his language is that of the every day his preternatural instinct for rhythm fills his lines with a bursting musicality.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
There was some hope that Brosmer, who parlayed a combination of accuracy and preternatural processing skills into a roster spot out of training camp, might surprise everyone by running an efficient ship on Sunday.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2025
The most straightforward way to account for this preternatural smoothness is a period of inflation that provides time for the baby universe to reach a uniform temperature.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preternatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preternatural
Adjective
-
Her appointment was agreed at an extraordinary meeting Monday of the festival’s executive board, made up of San Sebastián City Council, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Basque Government and the Spanish Ministry of Culture.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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And yet many were created with extraordinary artistic ambition.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The former is right up the alley of fans of supernatural thrillers, while the latter pulls back the curtain on the invention of reality TV.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
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But where once engineers could use any raw ingredients at their disposal to make parts with almost supernatural structural abilities, the climate crisis dictates a change of strategy.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And typing and talking have both been automated to a superhuman level by AI.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
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Sure, injuries could change things, or maybe there is some sort of superhuman game that a guy has to at least give the other team a bit of hope.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Wednesday’s game, in particular, ended in extremely bizarre fashion with Xavier Edwards turning an unusual unassisted double play with the bases loaded and Freddie Freeman at the plate.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In an unusual development, the bank published a range of forecasts given the geopolitical uncertainties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The museum site has been a paranormal hotbed for decades, with sightings of apparitions, security camera footage capturing items flying off shelves, as well as experiences from staff members and visitors.—
Gregory Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
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Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).—
Dennis Lim,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
About one-fifth of the state is in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought designation.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These are works of deep conviction, carved in steel by a true believer in metal’s transcendental power.—
Brad Sanders,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
-
To the victim, a transcendental thief is still a thief.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preternatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preternatural. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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