UNPREDICTABLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

unpredictably

adverb

as in intermittently

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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 unpredictably But high bromide content behaves unpredictably during fabrication. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 Wildlife with domoic acid poisoning can act unpredictably, the center said. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026 If China agrees to participate, that would create an open line for either side to send alerts when their country’s AI systems pose threats or behave unpredictably. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Norms do shift, sometimes unpredictably, as people watch one another live. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 The prospect of Helen Mirren playing the legendary author Patricia Highsmith at her most unpredictably misanthropic should be enough of a selling point for A Talent for Murder. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026 How these two segments smash together so unpredictably and imaginatively makes this yet another new horror film that thinks outside of the box. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 Youthful ambition bequeathed them unpredictably shifting time signatures, a daunting nylon-string intro, some odd musical shifts during the guitar-solo section, and a long list of other complexities. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Cloud spending, which grew unpredictably when the technology was new, can now be forecast using years of historical data. — Ameya Kanitkar, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictably

Adverb

Parker’s hair was gathered into an enormous, layered, fishtail braid that starts high on the back of her head with a bow, its ends interlaced intermittently with the incredibly thick folds of the plaits.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
But according to Erika, his heart continued to beat intermittently, creating a cruel window of hope.

— Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of intermittently

Adverb

The participants in the meditation group slept more fitfully, with more frequent awakenings, than those who didn’t meditate.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Martin Filler The Met’s new Tristan und Isolde was a vocal triumph for Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres, but Yuval Sharon’s staging only fitfully captured the essence of Wagner’s masterpiece.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026

Definition of fitfully

Adverb

Leaders who are more concerned with receiving credit than creating results can unintentionally silence the very people who could move the business forward.

— Ramin Seyed, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Misgendering means using incorrect pronouns or other gendered language for someone, intentionally or unintentionally.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of unintentionally

Adverb

There’s also evidence that some mimicry happens unconsciously.

— Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026
Perhaps the actions of England’s peasantry made such a formative impression on young Greengrass that he was unconsciously drawn to other stories with a similar thematic undercurrent.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of unconsciously

Adverb

Digger follows greedy, careless Digger as his company inadvertently catalyzes a disaster with global repercussions—then, whoopsie, sets off another for good measure.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
An organization can take its savings and inadvertently fill the space with more work.

— Prithvi Singh Shergill, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of inadvertently

Adverb

The problem is that many organizations have built that map accidentally.

— Jessica Wong, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Cincinnati Reds longtime broadcaster Thom Brennaman was suspended indefinitely in 2020 after his microphone accidentally picked up him using a three-letter anti-gay slur.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of accidentally

Adverb

And, fortuitously for would-be sponsors, something happened in tennis that made these arrangements even more appealing.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fortuitously

Browse Nearby Words

unpredictable

unpredictably

unprejudiced

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“Unpredictably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictably. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unpredictably

adverb

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