as in suddenly
without warning
the snow started unexpectedly
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Recent Examples of unexpectedly
Greige Often considered beige's cooler-toned cousin, gray-beige (also known as greige) can be an unexpectedly effective color to brighten rooms with—especially when using lighter shades and in south-facing rooms that receive plenty of natural light.
—
Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 2 June 2026
That hasn’t happened, in part because of the unexpectedly high support companies typically receive, according to Stanford University research.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Friends and colleagues would surface his father’s videos unexpectedly, creating moments of involuntary confrontation.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2026
However, six weeks after the announcement of the engagement, Prince Albert died unexpectedly during an influenza pandemic.
—Natasha Leake, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026
And now … Norris stopped by, unexpectedly.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Old conflicts may unexpectedly reappear in new arguments.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Homeowners captured boom on surveillance cameras Across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, homeowners unexpectedly caught the sound of the boom through surveillance cameras.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 June 2026
This Together pulled back the curtain on the devastating fire that unexpectedly tore through the Heirloom hotel last summer.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 2 June 2026
That hasn’t happened, in part because of the unexpectedly high support companies typically receive, according to Stanford University research.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Friends and colleagues would surface his father’s videos unexpectedly, creating moments of involuntary confrontation.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2026
However, six weeks after the announcement of the engagement, Prince Albert died unexpectedly during an influenza pandemic.
—Natasha Leake, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026
And now … Norris stopped by, unexpectedly.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Old conflicts may unexpectedly reappear in new arguments.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Homeowners captured boom on surveillance cameras Across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, homeowners unexpectedly caught the sound of the boom through surveillance cameras.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 June 2026
This Together pulled back the curtain on the devastating fire that unexpectedly tore through the Heirloom hotel last summer.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexpectedly
suddenly
Adverb
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Be patient with parents and bosses if plans suddenly change.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
-
One member of the media, donned in a retro Arsenal shirt, also jumped over a small barrier to watch extra time and penalties in the stands, suddenly becoming another nervous fan with pain written all over his face.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexpectedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexpectedly. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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