Meaning & use
freak accidents
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“freak accidents” is a form of “freak accident”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Unexpected accidents caused by very unusual and unlikely events rather than ordinary carelessness.
Grammar: This is the plural form; the singular is 'a freak accident', and it is usually countable.
Patterns
- a freak accident
- die in a freak accident
- be killed in a freak accident
Two workers were hurt in freak accidents at the same factory within a month.
He survived a freak accident in which a tree fell on his car.
Freak accidents like these are rare, but they make the news because they seem so random.
nounpluralinformal
Deaths or injuries that happen in a shocking, improbable way, often reported in the news.
Grammar: Used mainly in news and everyday speech when describing how someone died or was injured.
Patterns
- a freak accident death
- deaths from freak accidents
The report listed several freak accident deaths involving household equipment.
Her freak accident death at just 34 shocked the whole town.
Word forms
| singular | freak accident |
|---|
Common combinations
- die in a freak accident
- The actor died in a freak accident at his home.
- a freak accident involving something
- It was a freak accident involving a falling sign.
- be killed in a freak accident
- She was killed in a freak accident on holiday.
- survive a freak accident
- Amazingly, the driver survived the freak accident.
- a series of freak accidents
- A series of freak accidents led to new safety rules.
Synonyms and how they differ
- freak occurrence
- Broader and more formal; it can describe any strange event, not only one that hurts people.
- fluke
- Focuses on luck and chance, and it is often harmless; a fluke is not usually a serious accident.
- tragic accident
- Emphasizes sadness and loss rather than how strange or unlikely the event was.
Word family
- freak adjective
- Very unusual and unexpected, as in 'a freak storm'.
Commonly confused: freak accidents or freak out?
freak accidents vs freak out
A phrasal verb meaning to become very frightened or upset; it has nothing to do with accidents.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'freak accidents' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Freak accidents' is a plural noun phrase meaning unusual, unlikely accidents, so it fits as the object of a preposition in sentence B. The other options wrongly use it as a verb or as a description of a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “freak accidents”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.