as in oral
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing
an unwritten contract may not be enforceable
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Recent Examples of unwritten
That was like an unwritten rule.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
In a recent blog post, Grotts said even well-meaning customers often break unwritten rules without realizing it.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
An unwritten rule of the NBA, it is generally viewed as a sign of respect to run out the clock rather than risk embarrassing an opponent.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
While some travelers get to know a place by studying its unwritten rules or tracking down the very best version of an iconic food, Mallozzi begins by listening for its rhythms.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwritten
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
In a recent blog post, Grotts said even well-meaning customers often break unwritten rules without realizing it.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
An unwritten rule of the NBA, it is generally viewed as a sign of respect to run out the clock rather than risk embarrassing an opponent.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
While some travelers get to know a place by studying its unwritten rules or tracking down the very best version of an iconic food, Mallozzi begins by listening for its rhythms.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwritten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwritten
Adjective
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For more persistent or severe infections, a stronger antifungal medication such as a single-dose oral tablet or a longer treatment regimen may be prescribed, says Mitchell.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
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Tourlas started with a nerve block to temporarily reduce Jack's pain, then prescribed an oral medication that had little effect.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Officers responded to a 911 call and were informed of a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation, the department told Footwear News.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Given that Trump never knowingly engages in understatement, this is a rare example of verbal deflation.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There’s so much data in the spoken word that gets lost when those words are converted to text — just like compressing an audio file into a fuzzy MP3 removes some of the music.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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Once a route was selected, the robot guided users step by step, providing spoken feedback such as corridor descriptions and obstacle alerts until reaching the destination.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwritten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwritten. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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