INADVERTENTLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

inadvertently

adverb

as in accidentally

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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 inadvertently But upon arrival, they inadvertently got mixed in with a busload of draftees arriving for their inductions. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026 Since intoxicating hemp was inadvertently legalized in the 2018 federal Farm Bill, smoke shops, convenience stores, and gas stations have sold it without restrictions. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026 The redactions have since come under withering criticism, with many of Epstein's victims complaining that their names and personal details were inadvertently publicly released. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026 Employees may inadvertently share customer proposals, internal reports or proprietary technology without understanding how that data is processed or stored. — Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026 Weusthuis posted an innocuous (and inadvertently public) Facebook event for her birthday party in 2012, inviting 78 people, per TIME. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2026 On a brisk October morning, a coyote ventured onto a mound of dirt in Agoura Hills and inadvertently became a pioneer. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026 There’s even an ultrasonic sensor to detect the presence of a cat, so the feeder doesn’t inadvertently drop kibble on their head. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026 When the remaining work orders were removed, one was inadvertently missed. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 4 Nov. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadvertently

Adverb

Written and directed by Sun Aoqian, the film stars Song Jia as a weary crematorium worker who accidentally mixes up two sets of funeral ashes.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026
But a space maneuver accidentally exposed one of its batteries to the sun, and the spacecraft lost power.

— Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of accidentally

Adverb

Another reveals a family trait or behavior that was unwittingly passed from generation to generation.

— Gary Barron, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
In John’s 2008 novel The Appeal, an ambitious young attorney is unwittingly recruited by some nefarious special interests to seek election to the state supreme court.

— David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of unwittingly

Adverb

Andrews, the Senate’s first female physician and first pediatrician, credits her stance on gun control to her experience treating children who have unintentionally shot themselves after finding an unsecured firearm.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2026
Because segregation had historically excluded Black veterans from those areas, the practice could unintentionally perpetuate the very divisions that once determined where they were allowed to be buried.

— Sarah M. Boye, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of unintentionally

Adverb

If presented with something to grip, even unconsciously, many jaws will.

— Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
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

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

But the proliferation of drones has created a challenge for authorities trying to distinguish routine flights from aircraft operating carelessly, illegally or with malicious intent.

— MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Nov. 2026
An outright ban on the use of the technology would remove a valuable tool only because some departments have used it carelessly.

— Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of carelessly

Browse Nearby Words

inadvertent

inadvertently

inadvisability

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“Inadvertently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadvertently. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of inadvertently

adverb

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