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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 Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2025 While the night celebrated Mamdani’s coalition of Democratic Socialist of America leaders, labor union heads, and activists, the rally also reflected how far Mamdani had come from an unknown, leftist state assemblyman, polling under one percent, to a darling of the Democratic mainstream. Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 This marsupial species is common in fossil deposits in southern Australia but is unknown in the north. Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025 McLusky, however, isn’t interested in meeting new gangsters or unknown criminals in his town. Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unknown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknown
Adjective
  • Intrigued by the unfamiliar-looking animals, researchers examined their anatomy and analyzed their DNA.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The series pits teams of two contestants, who usually know each other prior, against each other in a race across unfamiliar lands toward a $1 million cash prize.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The novel series is about a father and daughter trying to reconcile at the end of the world.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Toppling Brazil’s tariffs, currently at 50%, is novel to the Senate but has support from GOP co-sponsors Paul, Collins, and Murkowski.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Even then, though, the path is obscure.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Many years have passed since nursing home patients lived in the Redlands Road building, the obscure permit on which the occupancy rested has lapsed.
    Lou Murray, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
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
  • 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
  • Twelve of the 20 indicators for the health risks and impacts of climate change in the report set concerning new records—showing that the health impacts caused by our changing climate have reached unprecedented levels that cannot be ignored.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
  • From Nvidia on track to see half a trillion dollars in revenue to Microsoft’s and Alphabet’s multi-hundred-billion-dollar capital expenditure plans, the scale is unprecedented.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2025.

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