The term "wildcard" can be replaced with several synonyms depending on the context. For instance, in sports, the term "dark horse" could be used to refer to a team or player with an unexpectedly strong performance. In the same vein, the term "underdog" can also be used to refer to a wild card in sports. In the world of computing, a wildcard is often expressed as the "asterisk" or "star" sign, and is used for pattern matching. In the game of cards, the term "joker" can be used to refer to a wildcard. In general, any term that implies unpredictability or unconventional approaches could serve as an alternative to "wildcard".