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
Still, workers were caught unawares by the shutdown, Ball and Nava said.
—
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
While the Terrans struggle to suppress a rebel faction incensed by humanity's alliance with the alien Vasudans, they're caught unawares by the return of an existential threat to the peace-loving species of the galaxy.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
The unfinished portrait drawing was a Regency fashion, as executed by professional society artists Thomas Lawrence and Richard Cosway, where the intention was to capture personality unawares, unstudied, as in life.
—
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
While the Terrans struggle to suppress a rebel faction incensed by humanity's alliance with the alien Vasudans, they're caught unawares by the return of an existential threat to the peace-loving species of the galaxy.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
The unfinished portrait drawing was a Regency fashion, as executed by professional society artists Thomas Lawrence and Richard Cosway, where the intention was to capture personality unawares, unstudied, as in life.
—
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unawares
Adverb
-
Not because a new appendix deserves a barnstorming tour, or because county unemployment data has suddenly become beach reading.
-
In some areas, the water may look shallow and calm yet drop off suddenly into deep pools.
Adverb
-
Expecting a change of pace, she is instead unexpectedly pulled into a murder investigation involving a female climate activist.
-
And suddenly, all those pages of analysis feel a lot like a MapQuest printout when the road is unexpectedly closed.
Cite this Entry
“Unawares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unawares. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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