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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 Her mother, for an unknown reason, told her daughter to go to the man’s truck, according to court documents. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025 But the doors quickly lock behind him, and an unknown number calls him on the car’s Bluetooth system. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025 At the moment, everyone is on standby as the severity of Flagg's ankle injury is unknown. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is unknown. Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unknown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknown
Adjective
  • Most small businesses are not operating an entire influencer marketing department and may be unfamiliar with how pricing works or operating with very small budgets.
    Kristen Bousquet, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Lewis-Potter has been in excellent form for Brentford in the unfamiliar position of left-back and he was capped four times by England’s Under-21s.
    Jay Harris, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The world would bloom with new energy, novel ideas, and joy.
    Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The bizarre thing is that even with a six-hour runtime, much of the novel material omitted from Visconti’s version is still entirely missing.
    Anthony Paletta, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Chicagoans may be following the back and forth between the City Council and Chicago Public Schools leadership over an obscure pension payment and wonder how does this affect me?
    Jason Ervin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Couple that with obscure sourcing practices, harmful environmental impacts, and questionable animal welfare practices, and the cost of it all starts to add up.
    Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Sure, the plot’s kind of a mess, but warrior Alice is an empowering turn while Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter’s big-headed Red Queen are splendidly strange.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The movie business and the television business are strange.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s often a substantial, unrecognized cost involved in generating a mass amount of AI content; processing, storage and review fees often overlooked by brand managers.
    Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, highlight a previously unrecognized benefit of this unique marine collaboration.
    Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie turned the wizardly backstory into an epic adventure, opening a gateway for young unbeknownst fantasy fans everywhere while also delivering a classically wholesome story about the importance of family and a parent's unconditional love.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 1 July 2024
  • For a surprise at the end, unbeknownst even to King, Winfrey arranged a path lined with sparklers, framing the couple in a golden glow against the night sky.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
Adjective
  • The 18th edition of the wildly popular cricket tournament kicked off with unprecedented audience numbers, amassing 49.56 billion minutes of cumulative watch time across JioHotstar‘s streaming platform and the Star Sports Network.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Those firms, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, say in their lawsuits that the orders amount to an unprecedented assault on the legal system and represent an unconstitutional form of presidential retaliation.
    Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Molina’s life is upended after forming an unlikely bond with his new cellmate (Diego Luna).
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 Mar. 2025
  • People quickly adapt to new financial circumstances, so while receiving money may bring temporary joy, the effect is fleeting.
    Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unknown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknown. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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