Definition of unknownnext
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as in unfamiliar
happening or existing without one's knowledge unknown to me was the fact that while I was out, my family was hurriedly preparing a surprise birthday party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 unknown Details about the arrest are still unknown. Jasmine Mendez follow, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026 Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026 Until the joint attack was announced on Friday, Guerrero Flores’ whereabouts had been unknown. Uriel Blanco, CNN Money, 13 June 2026 Despite an extensive investigation at the time of his disappearance, Dennington's whereabouts remained unknown. David Chiu, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unknown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknown
Adjective
  • In the early stages of a relationship, self-expansion is largely automatic, as new partners are most inclined at this point to learn about each other’s unfamiliar interests, social circles, habits and ideas.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • Greene worries that rising prices and the disappearance of mass-market paperbacks could create a future where fewer readers take chances on unfamiliar authors.
    Josh Rivera, USA Today, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • This moving novel unfurls its truths one letter at a time, filling in a complex and memorable picture of one woman’s life.
    Esther K. Choy, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • Obesity has become a massive global health crisis, but the emergence of novel anti-obesity drugs has been a powerful tool in curbing the pandemic.
    Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
Adjective
  • My family tree was obscure, its branches hidden.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • City authorities have cited the obscure commission’s denial as reason for not moving forward even though the City Council voted in favor of the project.
    Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • Apparently unbeknownst to the defendants, the meeting continued recording the next hour of interactions between the brothers.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
  • The third episode details the story of Joyce Pelzer, who was in a relationship with another woman when, unbeknownst to her girlfriend, she was arrested for killing her ex-girlfriend, Shawndell McLeod, and wife, Rosalyn Lewis.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • The issue at hand – renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA – has created strange political bedfellows this year on Capitol Hill, miring lawmakers in a debate pitting privacy against safety while consuming much of Congress' election-year time.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 June 2026
  • Brunson answered with one of the strangest makes of his postseason.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • Expecting Women To Perform Emotional Labor Women are often expected to organize celebrations, mentor new employees, mediate conflicts, and provide emotional support—all tasks that benefit organizations but often go unrecognized in promotion decisions.
    Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • When harm remains unrecognized as error, safeguards rarely follow.
    Nisha Narayanan, STAT, 5 June 2026
Adjective
  • In an unprecedented move, a stretch of Interstate 95 was shut down for days because of the thick smoke and flames.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
  • After that, Obsession’s business leaped an unprecedented 39% upward in its second weekend in theaters and a 14% jump in weekend three, before taking a mere 7% dip in weekend four.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • Students at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill designed and 3D-printed a new version of the vuvuzela, the loud plastic horn that became infamous during past international soccer tournaments.
    Kenny Choi, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • Morgan and Tilis have other potential extensions to sort out over the next few months, as cornerback Mike Jackson and quarterback Bryce Young are among potential candidates for new deals.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Unknown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknown. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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