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 Without all three, autonomous AI systems will continue to operate unpredictably, creating risks that undermine trust and reduce ROI. — Jesse Stockall, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 But patients also need confidence that review standards will not shift unpredictably after sponsors and investigators have designed trials in consultation with the agency. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Children played with buscaniguas, small chasing firecrackers that darted unpredictably across the ground. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 Although flu seasons can vary in disease severity, the virus mutates so unpredictably that pandemic flu seasons – like those in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009 – are a recurring possibility. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 The soft jersey fabric of these joggers gives you full leg coverage without feeling heavy or hot, which matters when cabin temperatures swing unpredictably. — Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026 Extreme heat can cause smoke to move unpredictably, reducing visibility and creating hazardous driving conditions. — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 17 June 2026 Her neuroimaging research has found that menopause is associated with measurable changes in brain structure, connectivity and energy metabolism, particularly during perimenopause — the transitional years when estrogen levels fluctuate unpredictably. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 17 June 2026 Marion includes them on her list of colors to avoid because strong, highly pigmented shades can feel even heavier in low-light spaces and shift unpredictably under artificial lighting. — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 14 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictably

Adverb

For the past few months, Iran has intermittently fought a war with the United States, Israel, and its Arab neighbors.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Form a mini book club together, stopping intermittently to pulse check your feelings about the same book.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 July 2026

Definition of intermittently

Adverb

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
That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026

Definition of fitfully

Adverb

Organizations can unintentionally create systems employees serve rather than systems supporting employees.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Left unmanaged, these competing priorities can result in the groups unintentionally sabotaging each other’s efforts.

— Ganna Pogrebna, Harvard Business Review, 31 July 2026

Definition of unintentionally

Adverb

There is also bias at play, which affects decision-making, even unconsciously.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
What the team still can’t definitively say is whether sperm whales blow bubbles in their sleep consciously or unconsciously.

— Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 23 July 2026

Definition of unconsciously

Adverb

The team’s social media department was preparing the stream in advance and accidentally published the link.

— Devon Henderson, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Moss recalled a bass fishing trip last fall when his son accidentally hooked Brooke in the shoulder while fish were busting on the surface in front of them.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of accidentally

Adverb

And fortuitously, Napalm Death, who played a 19-minute set, espouse the same lefty politics as NPR, in fact maybe even a little more leftist, all things considered, since Barney Greenway wore a Crass T-shirt to the gig.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Dean Fleischer Camp directed the film, which was originally meant to stream on Disney+, but fortuitously, things changed and, in 2024, the film was given a theatrical release.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 June 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unpredictably

adverb

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