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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And if anyone was naive enough to imagine the U.S.-led tournament in 2026 would be free of such political baggage, then surely the increasingly public proximity of the Trump-Infantino relationship has dispelled those illusions.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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Biography Ellmann-style was left looking hopelessly naive in its effort to understand the work by understanding its writer’s life.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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However, there is a major caveat that fans are often unaware of — players must become free agents within a transfer window in order to sign elsewhere outside of one.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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Most Americans are unaware of the unprecedented threats that AI may pose.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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To insinuate yourself into someone’s life, the biggest manipulators act like the most innocent victims.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
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Loew was made the mark in a kind of confidence game, Schulberg recalls, with Thalberg and Mayer putting on a show of activity at the failing Louis B. Mayer Productions that nonetheless impressed the Hollywood innocent.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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Less prescient was her claim—ignorant in exactly the way of so many white feminists throughout history—that racial oppression would be solved once gender was abolished.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 June 2025
-
The provision prohibiting states from regulating AI for the next 10 years is unconscionably ignorant and dangerous.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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In his formal lecture to the Academy, Campbell offered some reflections on the simple science that gave rise to the treatment, and to its wide array of applications.—
Benjamin Mazer,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2025
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The simplest way to achieve your goal may be a version of the truth that’s not the whole truth.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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But here’s the other risk: Chasers, especially novices, often stop abruptly on the side - or even middle - of a 70-mph highway, open their car doors to get out and cluelessly snap photos, oblivious to other chasers who may be barreling down behind them.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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There always seemed to be a little girl oblivious to everything but the cartoons.—
Mark Kriegel
June 4,
Literary Hub,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Three of McConnell’s five steals came via what’s become his signature play — lurking in the backcourt and taking advantage of unsuspecting and/or lazy inbounds passes for turnovers.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
12 June 2025
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Mashpee man Gregory Mattos, 37, was charged in Wareham District Court with one count of photographing an unsuspecting nude person.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
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