1
as in accidental
happening by chance
backyard digging that resulted in unintended damage to buried phone wires
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spontaneous
not made or done willingly or by choice
a response that yielded an unintended insight into her personal character
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unintended
Across the region, heavy-handed American tactics will risk spurring backlash and unintended consequences.
—
Ian Bremmer, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Others worry the policy could have unintended consequences.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026
The unintended consequence is that these analyses cannot answer the question most relevant to me — whether healthy occasional light drinkers reduce their risk of death by becoming abstainers.
—Robert M. Kaplan, STAT, 1 Jan. 2026
Without much public debate or planning, these semi-engineered levees took on a critical and unintended role.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintended
Ian Bremmer, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Others worry the policy could have unintended consequences.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026
The unintended consequence is that these analyses cannot answer the question most relevant to me — whether healthy occasional light drinkers reduce their risk of death by becoming abstainers.
—Robert M. Kaplan, STAT, 1 Jan. 2026
Without much public debate or planning, these semi-engineered levees took on a critical and unintended role.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintended
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintended
Adjective
-
Add an extra rinse cycle if using chlorine bleach to prevent accidental bleaching of fabrics.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The actor's cause of death was later revealed to be an accidental overdose.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Advances in facial robotics are moving beyond preprogrammed animations toward dynamic, spontaneous expressions, enabling robots to better communicate, build rapport, and integrate into human social environments.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Compared to the spontaneous, high-spirited, and witty heroines of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, Fanny Price is a prig.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, the Weeknd has long romanticized his own self-destruction, but here, as the water fills his lungs, death finally loses its glamour—there’s nothing romantic about a man incapable of or unwilling to save himself from drowning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Witnesses may be unavailable or unwilling to speak.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There's a lot of coordinating on the back end in order to prevent unintentional interactions.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 1 to 17 years old.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
24 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unintended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintended. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
