as in sudden
not expected
the failure of the backup generator was unexpected and a contingency for which we weren't prepared
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Recent Examples of unexpected
Wilson operated outside of conventional narrative, trusting in the magic of unexpected illogic.
—
Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Between networking wins, social media visibility and unexpected opportunities, this month feels fast-moving and intellectually stimulating in the best way.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
As a creator with an unusually sharp understanding of what audiences want from nonfiction storytelling, the Streamy Award winner consistently pushes the genre into unexpected territory.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
In an unexpected twist on Monday, Alito issued an extension of the temporary pause, giving him and his colleagues more time to decide on the merits of the case of whether to allow mifepristone to be sold online.
—Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unexpected
Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Between networking wins, social media visibility and unexpected opportunities, this month feels fast-moving and intellectually stimulating in the best way.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
As a creator with an unusually sharp understanding of what audiences want from nonfiction storytelling, the Streamy Award winner consistently pushes the genre into unexpected territory.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
In an unexpected twist on Monday, Alito issued an extension of the temporary pause, giving him and his colleagues more time to decide on the merits of the case of whether to allow mifepristone to be sold online.
—Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unexpected
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexpected
sudden
Adjective
-
The Sun were consistently among the WNBA’s top-performing franchises on and off the court before the league’s sudden exponential growth.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
13 May 2026
-
Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families, said as a result of these sudden deployments, some spouses have had to cut back on their work hours or quit their jobs to hold down the home front.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexpected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexpected. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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