as in intermittently
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Recent Examples of unpredictably
Wet, frozen branches can snap unpredictably when under pressure and jagged edges cut through lightweight work gloves.
—
Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 15 Mar. 2026
In dysfunctional families, conflict often arises unpredictably, says O’Callaghan.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
Vancouver remains intent on concluding some additional business before the deadline passes, although this market has been late developing and has evolved unpredictably.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
When confronted with construction zones, school buses, power outages, or misbehaving pedestrians, these vehicles often behave unpredictably, leading to crashes or freezing events, causing significant disruption to local traffic and possibly blocking first responders from doing their jobs.
—Missy Cummings, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
There’s a crazy, almost anarchic narrative logic that keeps it zigging and zagging unpredictably from the high-speed chase around precarious mountain roads to the suspenseful near disaster of the climax, in which nature gets angry, and the triumphant eco solution that saves the day.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Mar. 2026
Instead of gracefully gliding toward the green, a slice causes the ball to careen unpredictably.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
And with the Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around the world, the Clintons are once again ensnared in the scandal of the moment.
—Steven Sloan The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Feb. 2026
And with the Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around the world, the Clintons are once again ensnared in the scandal of the moment.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 15 Mar. 2026
In dysfunctional families, conflict often arises unpredictably, says O’Callaghan.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
Vancouver remains intent on concluding some additional business before the deadline passes, although this market has been late developing and has evolved unpredictably.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
When confronted with construction zones, school buses, power outages, or misbehaving pedestrians, these vehicles often behave unpredictably, leading to crashes or freezing events, causing significant disruption to local traffic and possibly blocking first responders from doing their jobs.
—Missy Cummings, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
There’s a crazy, almost anarchic narrative logic that keeps it zigging and zagging unpredictably from the high-speed chase around precarious mountain roads to the suspenseful near disaster of the climax, in which nature gets angry, and the triumphant eco solution that saves the day.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Mar. 2026
Instead of gracefully gliding toward the green, a slice causes the ball to careen unpredictably.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
And with the Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around the world, the Clintons are once again ensnared in the scandal of the moment.
—Steven Sloan The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Feb. 2026
And with the Epstein case unfolding unpredictably around the world, the Clintons are once again ensnared in the scandal of the moment.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictably
Adverb
-
This dual-sensor setup improves tracking of low-observable or intermittently emitting targets.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Gore’s potential, intermittently tapped, ranks among the game’s elite lefties.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 25,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board members last week approved a nearly $348,000 contract with a company that unintentionally leaked students data in 2024.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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But a bug added the Mic Drop to many emails unintentionally and Google had to turn it off.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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In presenting the Best Actor winners, Adrien Brody perfectly, if perhaps unconsciously, echoed Johnson’s remarks from more than 50 years earlier.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Screen or email apnea happens when someone unconsciously holds their breath or breathes more shallowly while looking at their screen to answer emails or texts, explained Dora Kamau, lead mindfulness and meditation teacher at Headspace.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The first period ended with a multiple-player brawl that resulted in linesman Kilian McNamara inadvertently catching a stick in the face and two players from each team taking 2-minute minor penalties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Along with Anopheles control efforts, agriculture also inadvertently exposes mosquitoes to pyrethroids and contributes to insecticide resistance.—
Jacob A Tennessen,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Rivera’s defense team has argued that his gun went off accidentally after Rosen reached into the car and grabbed it, trying to leverage footage from body cameras and surveillance cameras that don’t offer a clear view of the gun or the sergeant’s hands inside the car.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
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After the shooting, Heyward dropped the gun — accidentally shooting herself in the right foot while bending down to pick it up — then walked to the back of the car and removed the license plate, placed it inside, and sped off, deputies say.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The game ran poorly, crashed regularly, looked unremarkable, and drove disjointedly.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Sixty years ago, the home opener happened to fortuitously fall during spring break.—
Raymond Daniel Burke,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Mar. 2026
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Even those might be fortuitously timed, as the Thunder and Spurs will likely have nothing to play for other than potential awards quotas.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unpredictably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictably. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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