1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
those unknowing people who think that the world is a kindly place are in for a rude awakening
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unaware
not informed about or aware of something
the poor woman has been the unknowing target of some pretty vicious gossip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unknowing
Was this teacher an unknowing servant of the patriarchy, as Kara Cooney would argue, or a naïve propagandist of the oil industry, as Riggs herself comes to believe?
—
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowing
Adjective
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And if anyone was naive enough to imagine the U.S.-led tournament in 2026 would be free of such political baggage, then surely the increasingly public proximity of the Trump-Infantino relationship has dispelled those illusions.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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Biography Ellmann-style was left looking hopelessly naive in its effort to understand the work by understanding its writer’s life.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Most Americans are unaware of the unprecedented threats that AI may pose.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2025
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However, there is a major caveat that fans are often unaware of — players must become free agents within a transfer window in order to sign elsewhere outside of one.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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On July 8, U.S. soldiers escorting a train fired at crowds in Hammond, killing an innocent bystander.—
Robert Loerzel,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2025
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However, Vance’s spokesperson said the mix-up was an innocent mistake.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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The former Fox host Tucker Carlson, who opposed such an operation, sparred with two boosters: the current Fox host Mark Levin, and the Republican senator Ted Cruz, whom Carlson revealed to be ignorant of basic facts about Iran in a clip that went viral.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
27 June 2025
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Maybe LLMs get us 80% of the way there without any oversight, but skipping the context and being completely ignorant of what the machine is doing is typically not a good idea, partly for the reasons that the panelists laid out.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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For leaders, the takeaway is simple: let chaos strip the fluff away.—
Victoria Chynoweth,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2025
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But the system isn’t as simple as the governor suggests.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Many kids want to keep playing at the park or in the pool, totally oblivious to the fact that their parents are desperate to sit in front of the AC for a few minutes.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
27 June 2025
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Meanwhile, at Casa, an oblivious Cierra is starting to make a connection with bombshell Elan.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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In a March incident, a Riverside man was arrested on suspicion of pulling over unsuspecting drivers.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
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At the same time, scammers have gotten smarter about stealing personal information from unsuspecting users.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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