as in strange
not known or experienced before
ordered an unfamiliar wine and was surprised to find that it was much drier than what they were used to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unfamiliar
Yet, rather than start Kelly, Howe opted to deploy Botman in an unfamiliar right-sided role twice inside four days, before resting him against Bromley the following weekend.
—
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
For those unfamiliar with the Richard Linklater trilogy, the characters end up playing out their star signs perfectly: Scorpio (Jesse) is loyal to a fault, intensely romantic, dramatic, and even obsessive.
—Erika W. Smith, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
And so the cobalt-blue splat at this canvas’s center may strike us as violent or raw but not unfamiliar—a piece of sky or sea or something else in nature rather than something the artist has invented for invention’s sake.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
And of course, all this is unfamiliar territory for a man who spent most of his playing days fighting to win trophies, not to avoid relegation.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
For those unfamiliar with the Richard Linklater trilogy, the characters end up playing out their star signs perfectly: Scorpio (Jesse) is loyal to a fault, intensely romantic, dramatic, and even obsessive.
—Erika W. Smith, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
And so the cobalt-blue splat at this canvas’s center may strike us as violent or raw but not unfamiliar—a piece of sky or sea or something else in nature rather than something the artist has invented for invention’s sake.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
And of course, all this is unfamiliar territory for a man who spent most of his playing days fighting to win trophies, not to avoid relegation.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfamiliar
Adjective
-
People say Yoko’s art is strange and her music is not very good.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Many had wondered what her future held with the company and that her acting like nothing had happened was a little strange.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The dismissals come less than three weeks after a midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter killed 67 people and brought new scrutiny to air traffic controllers and their workloads.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
-
The video discussion started with benchmarks, details about xAI's new data center and the desire to create a chatbot that didn't need to be politically correct.—
Ina Fried,
Axios,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The letter detailed about 180 medical device staff cuts, which included 25 experts in artificial intelligence, a 20 percent reduction in biostatisticians who evaluated studies of novel devices and the loss of molecular biologists with expertise in diagnostic tests that pinpoint a cancer subtype.—
Christina Jewett,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Most recently, three designers – Sandy Liang, Elena Velez, and Jane Wade – experimented with crypto, AI, and hardware in novel ways at New York Fashion Week (NYFW).—
Jackie Berardo,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Thanks to its allies, the U.S. obtained unprecedented political and economic influence in Europe and Asia, and unprecedented power everywhere else.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2025
-
The finale of Zero Day manages to deliver a satisfying conclusion to its tale of De Niro's aging and once-revered leader being summoned back into action by current POTUS Evelyn Mitchell (Angela Bassett) to get to the bottom of this unprecedented threat.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Add more salt to taste, black pepper, and fresh herbs, like chives.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The fresh data follows a report last month from the University of Michigan showing that its gauge of consumer sentiment had declined for the first time in six months.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The film also won best actor for Brody at the BAFTAs, as well as best cinematography and best original score.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
-
An epic poem from Homer, the original literary classic explored themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning and the struggle against divine will, featuring stories like Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But Chinese health authorities didn’t alert the WHO — which the country was required to do under a legal framework called the International Health Regulations — to a spate of patients with an unknown pneumonia-like disease until December 31.—
Jess Craig,
Vox,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Don't click on links in texts from unknown senders to try to access a website through the text.—
Kate Gibson,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfamiliar. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share