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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 In the midst of the run, fighting physical exhaustion and psychological trauma, Eve notices she is being pursued by an unknown runner in white who is closing in on her. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025 Much about the tragedy remains unknown, its story buried in the lakebed. Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025 The whereabouts of Melodee Buzzard, of Lompoc, California, remained unknown Tuesday. Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025 Such tweets turned Skonberg, 23, from an unknown CandyJar actor into a social media presence with his own small but budding fan base. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unknown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknown
Adjective
  • Her comedy plays like a loving travelogue of her life laid out with an assurance that these details will be unfamiliar, thrilling, and exotic.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Review the reports for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries.
    Jan Diaz, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The novel centers on Rose, a wife and mother who has recently moved to a picturesque mansion in Florida with her husband Grant and son James.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The staffing problem at Miami Correctional is also hardly novel.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Add to that list Inhotim, a sprawling and relatively obscure contemporary art collection in the jungle of the state of Minas Gerais that surpasses any notion of what a museum can be.
    William O'Connor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 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
  • Also this week, celebrity chef José Andres reveals his latest cookbook, the strange case of two hyper-specific vending machines, and the neverending epic of Cracker Barrel’s redesign fiasco adds yet another chapter.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But there's a strange intimacy to Talk to Me's premise, in which teens act tough by holding a mummified hand, declaring the titular phrase, and inviting one lucky spirit from the other side to inhabit their body.
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Look for unusual activity such as unrecognized logins, changes to passwords or new connected devices.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • In many cases, fans were able to see that the tickets were surreptitiously forwarded to unrecognized accounts, presumably so they could be sold on third-party sites.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Mamdani’s unprecedented ability to dominate the internet has led many to attribute his rise wholly to social media.
    Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The unprecedented decision to halt benefits has panicked many recipients, driving them to overwhelmed food pantries to help feed themselves and their families.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • When the humans return, there are only a handful, better clothed, hair braided and combed, new fashions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • In September, Vanity Fair wrote a story detailing new revelations around his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s correspondence with the disgraced financier.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unknown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknown. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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