as in suddenly
without warning
the thunderstorm caught us unawares, and we scrambled to get off the ridge as lightning started to flash
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Recent Examples of unawares
Short squeezes can happen when a troubled company bounces back, catching doubters unawares.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 22 July 2025
However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
This was not the first time the Alaska Volcanic Observatory (AVO) had been caught unawares by Veniaminof, even with rigorous monitoring.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
The swiftness with which the market changed their stripes caught us unawares and big gains weren’t taken.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 22 July 2025
However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
This was not the first time the Alaska Volcanic Observatory (AVO) had been caught unawares by Veniaminof, even with rigorous monitoring.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
The swiftness with which the market changed their stripes caught us unawares and big gains weren’t taken.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unawares
Adverb
-
The Siena game, only 48 hours before, suddenly seemed like a long time ago.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2026
-
When cruising along and suddenly pressing the accelerator to pass slower traffic, the response felt more subdued than expected from a 400-plus-horsepower luxury vehicle.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In one of those, a group of young Israeli soldiers accost Salim and Noor after the military unexpectedly pushes up the Palestinians’ curfew.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Eastern Idaho is where an infant, Onyxx Cooley, died suddenly and unexpectedly in February 2024.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unawares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unawares. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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