as in suddenly
without warning
the snow started unexpectedly
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Recent Examples of unexpectedly
Bodyman centers on a violent power struggle that unfolds during a family Christmas gathering after an eccentric billionaire unexpectedly transfers control of his private military company to his longtime bodyguard, played by Jonas, instead of to his adult children.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
What happened next is what makes the Olympics so unexpectedly compelling.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The Spanish skater went viral over the last week after he was unexpectedly denied the licensing rights for the music to his program.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Then, in early February of that year, Shiffrin's father, Jeff, died unexpectedly after falling off the roof of their family home.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
His look, designed by Zara, was unexpectedly pared back.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Designing her own home, however, proved unexpectedly challenging for Franco.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
Emdak Door Stop Alarm Designed to signal an alarm when a door is opened unexpectedly, the Emdak Door Stop Alarm is ideal for solo travelers.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
What happened next is what makes the Olympics so unexpectedly compelling.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The Spanish skater went viral over the last week after he was unexpectedly denied the licensing rights for the music to his program.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Then, in early February of that year, Shiffrin's father, Jeff, died unexpectedly after falling off the roof of their family home.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
His look, designed by Zara, was unexpectedly pared back.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Designing her own home, however, proved unexpectedly challenging for Franco.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
Emdak Door Stop Alarm Designed to signal an alarm when a door is opened unexpectedly, the Emdak Door Stop Alarm is ideal for solo travelers.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexpectedly
suddenly
Adverb
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What had been absurdly labeled impossible suddenly was proven to be very doable.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Celsius, as the Washington Examiner previously reported, is the fuel that keeps the Capitol engine running, so staffers are understandably up in arms as the cost of a can has suddenly spiked by a whopping 10 cents to now cost $4.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexpectedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexpectedly. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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