as in early
occurring before the usual or expected time
the untimely arrival of our guests caught us by surprise
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Recent Examples of untimely
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70 There hasn’t been an Italian pope since the untimely death of John Paul I in 1978, which may not seem that long a time until considering Italians occupied the papacy for the 455 years until that point.
—
Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 6 May 2025
Saturday, he felt victimized by bad luck by an untimely safety car in the Sprint race won by Norris and his own mistakes that kept him getting more out of his car while qualifying fourth.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 May 2025
Set more than a decade after Jane’s untimely death, this bit of historical fiction follows her beloved older (and only) sister, Cassandra, sensitively portrayed by executive producer Keeley Hawes, and imagines the circumstances that led her to destroy thousands of the author’s personal letters.
—Judy Berman, Time, 2 May 2025
Nearly 28 years after her untimely death in a Paris car accident in 1997, the world is still utterly compelled by her.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 6 May 2025
Saturday, he felt victimized by bad luck by an untimely safety car in the Sprint race won by Norris and his own mistakes that kept him getting more out of his car while qualifying fourth.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 May 2025
Set more than a decade after Jane’s untimely death, this bit of historical fiction follows her beloved older (and only) sister, Cassandra, sensitively portrayed by executive producer Keeley Hawes, and imagines the circumstances that led her to destroy thousands of the author’s personal letters.
—Judy Berman, Time, 2 May 2025
Nearly 28 years after her untimely death in a Paris car accident in 1997, the world is still utterly compelled by her.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untimely
Adjective
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Skyrocketing prices might not be top of mind for many consumers this spring, especially in light of significantly lower gas prices at the pump in early May.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Their early existence could have then helped in the development of the solar system's planets.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The premature leaf drop brought on by hot, dry weather is most pronounced on large-leafed, fast-growing shade trees such as cottonwoods, silver maples, catalpas, sycamores and mulberries, among others.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2025
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The zero-emission requirements were expected to eliminate nearly 70,000 tons of smog-forming emissions and 4,500 tons of soot statewide by 2040, preventing more than 1,200 premature deaths and providing $13 billion in public health benefits, according to the California Air Resources Board.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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In the middle of a seven-minute piece interpreted in an appropriately serious manner, Urie elicited unexpected giggles from the audience.—
Daniel Vaillancourt,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
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There are unexpected movements, too, plus frantic activity between the more than 20 frames that surround the stage.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The 2014 retirement of Malcolm (who died in 2017) and sudden spring 2016 departure of Johnson due to the risk of complete hearing loss threw shade on the future.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
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As guests hurried into the building to escape the sudden downpour — with a few leaving early, uncertain about how the rest of the day would unfold — Ashley had to think on her feet.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Putting pressure on the opponent This roster appears to be well-built for low-scoring games in April, which can swing on an inopportune error or a heads-up base-running decision.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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The Heat is dealing with injuries to its three best players at a most inopportune time.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Untimely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untimely. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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