unbeknownst to
idiom
chiefly US
: without being known about by (someone)
Unbeknownst to the students, the teacher had entered the room.
Examples of unbeknownst to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Osiris’ upcoming gathering has been widely reported by several outlets and, unbeknownst to him, went viral on social media.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Also, unbeknownst to many, the island has a small post office where guests can mail postcards to friends and family back home—a fun and low-cost activity for everyone in your group.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Dec. 2025
But unbeknownst to fans, the singer's health was suffering.
—Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
But unbeknownst to county officials, a land deal underpinning the effort skirted federal regulations — a rub in the county’s plans that is set to cost taxpayers $2 million pulled from other homelessness efforts.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unbeknownst to
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.
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Also, unbeknownst to many, the island has a small post office where guests can mail postcards to friends and family back home—a fun and low-cost activity for everyone in your group.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Dec. 2025
But unbeknownst to fans, the singer's health was suffering.
—Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
But unbeknownst to county officials, a land deal underpinning the effort skirted federal regulations — a rub in the county’s plans that is set to cost taxpayers $2 million pulled from other homelessness efforts.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unbeknownst to
Cite this Entry
“Unbeknownst to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unbeknownst%20to. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
