as in intermittently
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Recent Examples of unpredictably
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
In a world where markets can swing unpredictably, that certainty carries weight.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Testing took place inside Georgia Tech’s Human Augmentation Core Facility using a programmable treadmill system called CAREN, which can shift direction and speed unpredictably.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
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
In a world where markets can swing unpredictably, that certainty carries weight.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Testing took place inside Georgia Tech’s Human Augmentation Core Facility using a programmable treadmill system called CAREN, which can shift direction and speed unpredictably.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictably
Adverb
-
The union staff organized last spring and have been negotiating their first contract with management intermittently since September.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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He’s developed in that time into a key leader in the locker room and has served intermittently as a team captain.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
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
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While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Across airports and aircraft, many older passengers encounter—or unintentionally create—the same challenges.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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Though it should be noted that these programs do not directly address co-occurring mental health issues and could unintentionally reinforce unhelpful behaviors.—
Gwilym Roddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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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
-
Any direct influence probably came out unconsciously.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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In some cases, the department inadvertently released nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Slot took the kick-off himself but inadvertently sent his volley backwards, with Zwolle then losing possession.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Occasionally, another animal, such as a raccoon or dog, or a person, will accidentally eat an infected animal, or the slime of one, and contract the disease.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Not accidentally with a swollen or exploding battery, but intentionally with a miniature cigarette lighter built into the top.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Then, fortuitously, twice as much snow fell in the mountains that winter as usual.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
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The margins between top teams have shrunk, intangibles such as fit, culture and identity are more impactful than ever and the number of teams that can aspire to win a national championship seems to have expanded, fortuitously, along with the CFP.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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After the first season found Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) unwittingly involved in the hijacking of a plane, Season 2 of the show takes things underground, as Sam is part of a hijacking of a U-Bahn subway train in Berlin, specifically on the U5 route.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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But then the forests themselves start coming to life when they’re not supposed to, consuming the humans unwittingly trespassing on their land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unpredictably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictably. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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