: not explained or accounted for
an unexplained error
an unexplained delay

Examples of unexplained in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Think about someone who has unexplained fatigue and several unusual lab results. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026 An unexplained light show over France And how better to kick off our Halloween skywatching tales than with a retelling of the strange event that terrified my entire family during a trip to France, two decades ago. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026 When the older man dies in unexplained circumstances, Max and his friend Sam set out to learn the truth, and the search leads them into a perilous plot. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026 George Lutz rejected the suggestion that the entire experience was fabricated and continued to maintain that his family had encountered unexplained phenomena in the house, although some details of the story were embellished over time. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unexplained

Word History

First Known Use

1721, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unexplained was in 1721

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unexplained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unexplained. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster