ˌən-ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
the physicist, now regarded as one of the brightest minds in science, was an unexceptional student as a child
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Recent Examples of unexceptional
The Citizen: This is a character who is normal in every possible way, living an unexceptional life, who makes a morally dubious choice that leads them down The Path Of No Return.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Aaron Rodgers has plenty to prove heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener after a rather unexceptional 2024 from both a team and an individual perspective.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
The site includes several unexceptional museums housed in palaces, but two must-see attractions are the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Gawhara Terrace for a fantastic view over Cairo.
—Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023
Left exposed, Lebanon could not prevent Iran from projecting its power through Hezbollah, which evolved from its original state as an unexceptional guerilla force into a highly professional and well-armed paramilitary organization.
—Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2010
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Aaron Rodgers has plenty to prove heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener after a rather unexceptional 2024 from both a team and an individual perspective.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
The site includes several unexceptional museums housed in palaces, but two must-see attractions are the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Gawhara Terrace for a fantastic view over Cairo.
—Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023
Left exposed, Lebanon could not prevent Iran from projecting its power through Hezbollah, which evolved from its original state as an unexceptional guerilla force into a highly professional and well-armed paramilitary organization.
—Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2010
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexceptional
Adjective
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Sneaky Jon Cooper The Bolts showed their normal forward lines in pregame warmups, but then had other ideas once the puck dropped Friday night.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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All need normal care to become established, are freeze resistant and make durable plants for the landscape.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lyrics pull ordinary moments—tired thoughts, routine weight—and lay them bare.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
And companies like Meta are moving quickly to expand what these devices can do, including identifying people and instantly pulling up information about them, potentially turning ordinary public encounters into data points for the companies that make the glasses.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Flick was aware of what lay in store for his team and asked them to play a more pragmatic game than usual.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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As the Moon moves through your 5th House of Creativity, your voice carries more impact than usual.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Lions valued Mays’ ability to anchor in pass protection, after allowing the second-fastest average time to pressure and a pass-block win rate that ranked 31st in the NFL, per ESPN.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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But prices will likely stay high simply because the supply is so low; the average price on April 15 was 30 cents higher than a month earlier, according to the American Automobile Association.—
Aaron Cantú,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Safonov, who began his football career in Krasnodar’s academy aged 12, is not your typical footballer.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Performing new music at the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, bar’s long-running open mic is just a typical Sunday night for him and many other patrons.—
Jaeden Pinder,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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It's become almost commonplace in schools and at shopping malls.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The incident brought America's commonplace gun violence just feet away from a room full of lawmakers, top officials, and journalists.—
Ryan Lucas,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The last two contenders were remarkably unremarkable.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Her family stays on beside the ruins, and the film charts how occupation and its aftermath become the unremarkable background of her adolescence.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexceptional. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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