accidentally

adverb

Definition of accidentallynext
as in inadvertently

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of accidentally But those meds often include extra unnecessary ingredients that can sometimes put you at risk of accidentally overmedicating yourself, says Reed. — Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026 This extra information also prevents the bee from accidentally misleading the hive. — Marta Hill, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 The hunter accidentally becomes the hunted Packard was on his second dive of the morning on June 11, 2021, having already hauled in a bag full of live lobsters from the waters off Provincetown, his hometown. — David MacK, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 Then Digory accidentally unleashes the evil empress Jadis (Emma Mackey, who played Physicist Barbie in Barbie) from a sleeping spell, and chaos breaks out. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accidentally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accidentally
  1. inadvertently
  2. unintentionally
  3. unwittingly
  4. unconsciously
  5. fortuitously
  6. carelessly
  7. casually
Adverb
  • This leads to River commandeering a woman’s car and inadvertently gaining a partner in her dog Monty, who doesn’t figure into the action but is most assuredly a Very Good Boy.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Executives who remain tethered to routine reporting or data validation could inadvertently create an organizational bottleneck.
    — Alexandra J. Zanela, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of inadvertently
Adverb
  • The advisory warns that violating Saudi laws, even unintentionally, can carry serious consequences.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As for the crack, well, that happened by accident when heavy equipment punched through a concrete wall and unintentionally punctured the sphere, company officials told The Mountaineer.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unintentionally
Adverb
  • Anyone who waited by the stage door at London’s Trafalgar Theatre last year may well have unwittingly been offered a major clue about a development within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • When Jay encounters a giant squid being chased by a mammoth sperm whale, he’s unwittingly entangled in the former’s tentacles and swallowed up in one extended, terrifying sequence.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of unwittingly
Adverb
  • Our brain makes these predictions both consciously and unconsciously, relying on past sensory and physical experience to run the odds.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • There’s also evidence that some mimicry happens unconsciously.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconsciously
Adverb
  • And, fortuitously for would-be sponsors, something happened in tennis that made these arrangements even more appealing.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fortuitously
Adverb
  • Jasson Domínguez, still a liability on defense, carelessly let a leadoff single bounce past him and roll to the wall in right for a two-base error, but Cole managed to strand the runner at third and logged a scoreless frame.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Omar Alderete, O’Nien’s second-half replacement, carelessly did the same thing for the late winner.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of carelessly
Adverb
  • Unfortunately, there are too many cases in which an individual is chosen casually and lacks the necessary skills.
    — Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Chromebooks casually offer a handful of advantages over regular computers, starting with faster startup times and response rates.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of casually

Browse Nearby Words

accidental
accidentally
accidents
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Cite this Entry

“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidentally. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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