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
In All The Sinners Bleed, haunted by his devout mother’s untimely death, the first Black Sheriff (played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) in a small Bible Belt county must lead the hunt for a serial killer that has been preying on his Black community for years in the name of God.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
But stretches of cold shooting and untimely mistakes left too much ground to recover, a theme that continues to follow a roster learning how to create sustained results.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Scott, appointed to fill the vacancy after the untimely death of incumbent Dennis Deer in 2024, has a long record of public service, including on the Chicago City Council and Chicago Board of Education.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
One of the most iconic couples of the 1990s, Carolyn and John’s place in Kennedy history was canonized by their untimely death by plane crash in 1999.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
But stretches of cold shooting and untimely mistakes left too much ground to recover, a theme that continues to follow a roster learning how to create sustained results.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Scott, appointed to fill the vacancy after the untimely death of incumbent Dennis Deer in 2024, has a long record of public service, including on the Chicago City Council and Chicago Board of Education.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
One of the most iconic couples of the 1990s, Carolyn and John’s place in Kennedy history was canonized by their untimely death by plane crash in 1999.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untimely
Adjective
-
Though the 2028 presidential primaries have not yet begun, Van Hollen's proposal reflects the early jockeying around the ideas the party should run on.—
JEFF STEIN THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Throughout the early 20th century female film directors were few and far between, and could often be counted on one hand — from Alice Guy-Blanché and Lois Weber to Dorothy Arzner.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Iran may dominate today's headlines, but for Beijing the episode looks less like a crisis than confirmation that preparation for geopolitical uncertainty was not premature.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
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But after just one weekend, that premature conclusion could misunderstand how franchise damage actually works.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s a strong hook, but Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is just getting started with an erotic political tragicomedy that, like a Roomba, is forever veering off in unexpected directions.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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General Daily Insight for March 09, 2026 Cosmic wisdom can guide us to unexpected paths forward.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The device could also be used to damp vibrations in aerospace vehicles, ships, and aircraft, and to provide a shield for sensitive military hardware and scientific instruments that are vulnerable to sudden shock.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
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Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One day her husband came home at an inopportune time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The timing is inopportune because Smith, 48, must now transition into promo mode as the wildly popular, long-running hard-rock band now has a world tour dubbed Dance Kid Dance Act II kicking off in May, and a new album, EI8HT, due May 29.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untimely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untimely. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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