as in sudden
not expected ran into some unanticipated difficulties with the computer program

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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 unanticipated The early flights were handicapped by bulky suits and an unanticipated need for gloves capable of precise movement. Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025 The discovery of so much life – and such big life – was unanticipated, said Thurber. Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025 The unanticipated increase in spending for Medi-Cal, California’s health care program for 15 million low-income residents, is the most eye-popping of the many negative factors. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025 Yet something about Brandy triggers an unanticipated response from her character’s love interest (Emma Corrin), which throws the project into chaos. Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unanticipated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unanticipated
Adjective
  • His retirement wasn’t sudden, and the scheduling team has slowly been preparing for this transition over the past few years.
    Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 13 May 2025
  • The boom in housing demand during these years resulted in a sudden surge in home values and prices in the state, which in turn encouraged an explosion in new construction projects.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • In a speech Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested rates could be higher in the long term because of unexpected events that constrain supplies and push up prices.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • This was unexpected, as black holes have stronger gravitational fields and were thought to evaporate faster.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unanticipated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unanticipated. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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