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“Truth is stranger than fiction” is one of those sayings that seems pretty weird until you’ve lived long enough to see some examples in the flesh. If you are familiar with “the Onion,” you’ll know that there is already a lot of good satire out there. But what about times when real events were just more unhinged?

This Instagram account shares hilarious examples of headlines that are so bizarre that they almost look like something out of “the Onion.” So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to do a few double takes, upvote your favorites and add your own thoughts below.

More info: Instagram

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    #2

    Businesswoman addressing an audience, headline overlay from The Guardian.

    nottheonion , www.theguardian.com Report

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    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    tbf US does have a lot of d**g cartels. Everything from the Miami River PD to the Hells Angels

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    #3

    Tesla Cybertruck on a tow truck, damaged after hitting pothole. Owner still praises it as an amazing truck.

    nottheonion , www.torquenews.com Report

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    Damned_Cat
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He must have been driving in my town. We have potholes that could snap a Sherman tank in half

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    If you happen to be unaware, the Onion is an American satirical digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes “articles” on international, national, and local news. The company is currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication on August 29, 1988, in Madison, Wisconsin.

    The Onion began publishing online in early 1996, which is what it is best known for. You can actually still find physical print copies of the Onion out there. In 2007, they began publishing satirical news audio and video online as the Onion News Network. The print edition ceased in 2013, coinciding with the establishment of Onion Labs, an advertising agency.

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    Despite its satirical nature, The Onion's articles are sometimes mistaken for real news, leading to confusion among people who didn’t look at the source of the “article.” This confusion often arises because the articles mimic the tone and format of traditional news outlets, making it challenging for some individuals to discern satire from reality.

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    The Onion's ability to craft headlines that closely resemble genuine news stories contributes to this phenomenon. In some instances, the satirical headlines have even prefigured real events, further blurring the line between satire and reality. After all, it’s hard to argue against the idea that some current events aren’t just as bizarre and absurd as something you’d see on the aforementioned page.

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    #10

    Factory emitting smoke with headline about carbon reduction efforts facing bans in Wyoming.

    nottheonion , wyofile.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just another reason why Wyoming has the smallest population of any of the US states. They've killed everyone else off.

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    The Onion's realistic satirical style and its ability to closely mimic traditional news reporting can lead some readers to mistake its fictional articles for actual news, highlighting the importance of media literacy in distinguishing between satire and legitimate journalism. While it wasn’t exactly the page’s intention, it’s probably a good lesson for readers in 2025 to pay attention to sources and not just be tricked by tone.

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    #15

    Young woman in a library, expressing concern about her educational experience in an interview about shocking headlines.

    nottheonion , edition.cnn.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I worked with a school district in the Southern US who allowed a boy to pass through school due to his ability to play football. He was unhappy that he couldn't get into college because he couldn't pass the most basic exams and won a lawsuit. It was heartbreaking.

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    After all, it’s easy to say that you do your research when doing things online, but the reality is that we’ve gotten so used to browsing huge amounts of information that we often don’t stop and check. April 1st is no longer the only day where multiple entities are trying to trick you anymore.

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    #18

    Man in a suit stands folded arms at JP Morgan event, related to fake cops and call center news.

    financialpost , financialpost.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Let's see who is targeted next in some way, shape, or form by the government for trying to give some people the same chances that others were born with by sheer luck. So many people think that by levelling the playing field they are taking away others' "rights" to continue allowing privilege to continue.

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    #20

    Alexa speaker with removal of privacy options, highlighting cloud recording changes.

    nottheonion , www.techspot.com Report

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    Hippopotamuses
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just as well I have shīt conversations with Alexa. She won't commit to our relationship. Nothing; nada!

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    #21

    Flooded factory site, debris scattered; headline about victims’ families receiving gift cards.

    nottheonion , www.wcax.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    “'Sorry your loved one died, best we can do is a hot meal' was the holiday greeting Impact Plastics’ management chose to send last month to the families of the workers who perished in the catastrophic flooding at their plant during Hurricane Helene in September. Instead of accepting responsibility for their role in the tragedy, the Erwin, Tennessee, company sent $100 gift cards to the grieving families in December. This callous act is a stark illustration of the capitalist class’s utter disregard for the lives, and deaths, of the working class. The families of the deceased, along with surviving employees, received gift cards to McDonald’s, Walmart and Pal’s, another fast-food restaurant in the area."

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    #26

    Woman holding a dog in a pet store, highlighting the rise of pet parenting among Gen Z and job growth in veterinary fields.

    srigsri23 , fortune.com Report

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    TotallyNOTAFox
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't understand how people can choose a noisy, stinky creature that messes up the home while being extreme expensive to feed over owning a dog, which is clearly the better option

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    #28

    Rescue worker aids a man trapped in a well, illustrating bizarre incidents and misunderstandings from fake call centers.

    nottheonion , www.malaymail.com Report

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    Ahnjunwan
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is not unusual, he should have barked, i am not joking. Many thai people i know are very afraid of ghosts, so when you make "human" sounds they are scared, but if you bark they think a dog fell in the well and will come to rescue him

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    #29

    Egg supply limit sign above cartons in a store shelf amid crisis discussions.

    nottheonion , swedenherald.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hope Denmark sends them back a reply about sticking the eggs where the sun doesn't shine after the aggressive way Trump has been trying to steal Greenland.

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    #30

    Man in a suit, concerned, discussing health system issues at a conference.

    mcccxx , edition.cnn.com Report

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    Lynda Nesbitt
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Whatever Mangione thinks, murdering another human being because one disagrees with the policy of an industry is insanity-and he deserves to fry for it.

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    Johnnynatfan
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well no s**t? We the f*****g people have been screaming that for decades!

    CK
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The insurance companies are only one part of the broken system. There's also quite a bit of artificial scarcity in healthcare, and that's coming from the suppliers.

    superfluous
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How about healthcare groups buying each other up, becoming mega health systems, closing underperforming (rural) offices and hospitals, treating their workers like s**t and paying them s**t? Would that also be part of the problem?

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    Happy Jack
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is not designed in his favor is what he means. Not in favor of the patients.

    Nancy Parker
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Um, yeah. And he is at the core of why. Single payer is WAY cheaper and more efficient.

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    #35

    Concrete wall with sewage outlet, headline about US Supreme Court ruling on sewage discharge regulations, The Guardian logo.

    nottheonion , www.theguardian.com Report

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    TotallyNOTAFox
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of the characteristics of a developed nation is the easy access to clean drinking water....

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    #36

    Man in greenhouse with marijuana plants, using fertilizer, related to unbelievable headlines.

    nottheonion , www.vice.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "18 Dec 2024 — Two men from Rochester, New York, who grew their own cannabis died from pneumonia after being exposed to a harmful fungus in bat poop they'd used as fertilizer." Is New York trying to compete with Florida?

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    #38

    Two men standing in front of a map, involved in a viral headline event related to a fake call center.

    nottheonion , www.independent.co.uk Report

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    Hippopotamuses
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Release their own water, or someone else's? If it was their own water, it probably wouldn't have helped that much.

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    #39

    Bald man in a green striped suit speaking at a podium, addressing the media.

    GBNEWS , www.gbnews.com Report

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    Sue User
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Strike Ireland off list. Quickly running out of " countries to immigrate to".

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    #40

    Woman in police car after misunderstandings over squatter, reflecting fake cops raid incident confusion.

    nottheonion , www.wsbtv.com Report

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    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She's not in jail because she called the police on the squatters. She's in jail for actual crimes, but she was caught because she called the police. Calm down.

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    #41

    Prisoner requests expedited execution, wearing an orange shirt against a plain background.

    nottheonion Report

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    Corwin 02
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He wants off this planet, and the insanity , I actually do not blame him

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    #44

    Measles testing sign on roadside with trees in background, emphasizing a top health department priority in the US.

    nottheonion Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You can tell the priority it has been given by the expensive signs they have produced.

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    #46

    Governor signing document surrounded by applauding officials, addressing foster children funding policy.

    nottheonion , www.ksn.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard said NPR did a series of investigative stories several years ago about foster care children losing their benefits. States claim the money as reimbursement for the costs of foster care. But governments already have an obligation to pay the costs of foster care under state and federal laws. The result is that only impoverished kids, who receive Social Security benefits because they’re orphans or because they’re disabled or their parents are disabled, get a bill for their own foster care.” Since NPR’s investigation, some states passed legislation to stop the practice, but 36 states still reimburse themselves with the children’s federal benefits. Kansas is the first state to use an executive order to change the practice."

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    #49

    Wrestler Kane challenges Tim Walz to a charity match, as seen in a headline about fake cops and fake call centers.

    nottheonion Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why does Fox keep calling itself "FoxNews" after they admitted in court they are just an entertainment organisation?

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    #51

    Doctors concerned over insurance anesthesia time limit in surgery room.

    nottheonion Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And people still wonder why Luigi allegedly did whatever it was he was alleged to have done.

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    #55

    Texas prison under extreme heat, no AC.

    nottheonion Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would like to see everyone involved in this, including those from the judiciary, subjected to the same heat.

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    #58

    Airport scene with people in front of a plane, related to fake cops and a controversial video.

    nottheonion , www.nbcphiladelphia.com Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If there was a decent person in this administration they'd be ashamed of this. However, that's a very large "if."

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    #61

    A parking lot filled with Cybertrucks showcasing Tesla's claim on value retention after three years.

    nottheonion Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's if you can find that many wankpanzers that are still on the road if the tires and panels haven't fallen off by then. Gorilla Glue, however, is going to see a steep rise in their stocks.

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    #67

    DNA testing swab against a British flag background.

    nottheonion Report

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    Ace
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I looked into this one - it was actually more about data protection and privacy, the headline deliberately provocative but not representative of the article at all.

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    #68

    Portrait over a landfill landscape related to a fake call center investigation.

    nottheonion Report

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    Robert Millar
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    New headline: Man With 760 Million Bitcoin Fortune Neglects To Back Up Important. Disk.

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