as in suddenly
without warning
the snow started unexpectedly
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Recent Examples of unexpectedly
Greige Often considered beige's cooler-toned cousin, gray-beige (also known as greige) can be an unexpectedly effective color to brighten rooms with—especially when using lighter shades and in south-facing rooms that receive plenty of natural light.
—
Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 2 June 2026
That hasn’t happened, in part because of the unexpectedly high support companies typically receive, according to Stanford University research.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Friends and colleagues would surface his father’s videos unexpectedly, creating moments of involuntary confrontation.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2026
However, six weeks after the announcement of the engagement, Prince Albert died unexpectedly during an influenza pandemic.
—Natasha Leake, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026
And now … Norris stopped by, unexpectedly.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Old conflicts may unexpectedly reappear in new arguments.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Homeowners captured boom on surveillance cameras Across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, homeowners unexpectedly caught the sound of the boom through surveillance cameras.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 June 2026
This Together pulled back the curtain on the devastating fire that unexpectedly tore through the Heirloom hotel last summer.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 2 June 2026
That hasn’t happened, in part because of the unexpectedly high support companies typically receive, according to Stanford University research.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Friends and colleagues would surface his father’s videos unexpectedly, creating moments of involuntary confrontation.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2026
However, six weeks after the announcement of the engagement, Prince Albert died unexpectedly during an influenza pandemic.
—Natasha Leake, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026
And now … Norris stopped by, unexpectedly.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Old conflicts may unexpectedly reappear in new arguments.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Homeowners captured boom on surveillance cameras Across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, homeowners unexpectedly caught the sound of the boom through surveillance cameras.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 June 2026
This Together pulled back the curtain on the devastating fire that unexpectedly tore through the Heirloom hotel last summer.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexpectedly
suddenly
Adverb
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After excelling with point-guard skills in a center’s body, Wembanyama’s range suddenly disappeared.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Shipowners recently told Bloomberg that Iranian fast boats approached a group of vessels transiting through the strait, but turned away after helicopters suddenly appeared.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexpectedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexpectedly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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