Synonyms of unexpectedly

unexpectedly

adverb

as in suddenly

without warning

the snow started unexpectedly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suddenly
• abruptly
• unaware
• all of a sudden
• unawares
• aback
• off base
• unanticipatedly
• surprisingly
• short
• amazingly
• astoundingly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• slowly
• sluggishly
• tardily
• leisurely
• obviously
• laggardly
• pokily

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unexpectedly

Heather Leo’s future also arrived unexpectedly during the final days of the Games. — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026

Under his watch almost three years ago, FIFA unexpectedly announced a compressed bidding timeline for the 2034 World Cup, giving countries less than a month to submit expressions of interest. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026

Mini War stars Wilson as Joe, a likable stoner who unexpectedly inherits a mini golf course from his late uncle. — Peter White, Deadline, 17 July 2026

South Carolina’s senior senator, Lindsey Graham, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday night at the age of 71. — Forbestv, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

By then, Starks and Simington had unexpectedly stepped down from the commission. — ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026

Some of its greatest gifts arrive disguised as boredom — an afternoon with nothing scheduled, a bike pointed toward a friend’s house, a library book that unexpectedly becomes impossible to put down. — Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 16 July 2026

Led by Escobar, the collective has consistently treated music as just one part of a broader artistic practice encompassing film, installation, performance and community work, often releasing projects unexpectedly or in deliberately fleeting forms. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 16 July 2026

Jessica understood that the piece had to be about those relationships—and the ways that this new technology was affecting them, sometimes unexpectedly. — David Haglund, New Yorker, 16 July 2026