1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
those unknowing people who think that the world is a kindly place are in for a rude awakening
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unaware
not informed about or aware of something
the poor woman has been the unknowing target of some pretty vicious gossip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unknowing
Was this teacher an unknowing servant of the patriarchy, as Kara Cooney would argue, or a naïve propagandist of the oil industry, as Riggs herself comes to believe?
—
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowing
Adjective
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But that thinking is naive and sorely mistaken, says social scientist Michael Flood, who's at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.—
Michaeleen Doucleff,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2025
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The Canadian election result cautions against the Fortress North America concept, at once so domineering and so naive.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For those who are unaware of the phenomenon, here's the lowdown: Every Friday, the SCSD posts its digital version of a tool that's been used by law enforcement since the dawn of time.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2025
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All three have spent years rallying and organizing parents around their and their child’s rights within the district and say some parents are unaware of what accommodations the district is supposed to make for their child or that budget cuts are even happening.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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Students are expected to clear the house – shoot the bad guys and spare the innocent.—
William La Jeunesse,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
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Spider-Man continually sacrifices the joy in his life – his relationships, his health and his family – in order to fight villains and protect the innocent.—
George Tsakiridis,
The Conversation,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Problematic to be sure, but also a very in-character move for an ignorant buffoon.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Time,
6 May 2025
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But here's a reminder for us: casual cruelty, performed by ignorant fascists.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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Even something as simple as hanging your own art on the walls or sharing a project online will work.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
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Murder victim's family has been 'counting down the minutes' until South Carolina execution Texas pastor with simple dream killed in his own church.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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But these characters — oblivious hipsters with limited prospects and even more limited resources — couldn’t be more different from Allen’s affluent and accomplished Upper West Siders.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 May 2025
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Miraculously, those same analysts are oblivious to cost of diverting dozens of cases from federal courts into our state court system and creating juicy financial incentives for lawsuits to multiply.—
Mark Hillman,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This malware allows cyber actors to install proxies on unsuspecting victim routers and conduct cyber crimes anonymously.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
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According to an announcement from Stanford University, historians and one unsuspecting granddaughter have rediscovered the long-missing MingKwai machine.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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