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
Mbaye, who now lives in Texas, told me about Diop’s passion for seeing the city from a lighthouse, and catching it unawares at dawn.
—
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024
An early freeze that catches a tree unawares can do the same or can cause its leaves to turn straight from green to brown before falling off.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2024
However, PetSmart was caught unawares when Symancyk announced his leaving a day before Signet made its announcement.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
The author caught unawares on the steps of Perugia's Cattedrale San Lorenzo, bag by his side.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024
An early freeze that catches a tree unawares can do the same or can cause its leaves to turn straight from green to brown before falling off.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2024
However, PetSmart was caught unawares when Symancyk announced his leaving a day before Signet made its announcement.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
The author caught unawares on the steps of Perugia's Cattedrale San Lorenzo, bag by his side.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unawares
Adverb
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The Phillies could be interested in adding some more depth and Hampson is suddenly an option after the Cardinals designated him for assignment on Sunday.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Then the Jacksonville, Florida, resident suddenly collapsed in her bedroom while getting ready for work.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Thomas Samson | Afp | Getty Images Heading into another vote of confidence next week, France now unexpectedly finds itself unfavorably compared to Italy, a country previously renowned for political upheaval and economic frailty.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
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The famed animal conservationist died after unexpectedly being attacked by a stingray.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unawares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unawares. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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