as in involuntarily
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Recent Examples of unwillingly
Two years after his death, and even longer since Missing Richard Simmons forced him unwillingly into the public eye, Diane Sawyer is trying to get to the bottom of why the fitness guru hid inside his house for a decade.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 May 2026
The Ada County Highway District is a gubernatorial signature away from unwillingly adopting a countywide, partisan vote after the Legislature passed an 11th-hour bill to overhaul how the district’s board is elected.
—Mark Dee
april 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2026
My apologies also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Those who came under suspicion were taken unwillingly to a military hospital in Pretoria, cut off from their families, and subjected to electric shocks.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
By the end of film, Lough somewhat unwillingly parts ways with SamBot—handing over the chatbot to Altman via tech journalist Kara Swisher—after pressure from producers worried about the legal risks of holding onto the deepfake.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
And after miraculously surviving the attack that left her with facial paralysis and a bullet forever lodged in her brain, Buttafuoco was immediately, unwillingly thrust into the spotlight.
—Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The narrative follows Kim Phúc into adulthood—her education, religious awakening, defection to Canada, and, by taking ownership of the photograph in which she was unwillingly portrayed, her eventual emergence as a humanitarian advocate for child victims of conflict.
—Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 May 2026
The Ada County Highway District is a gubernatorial signature away from unwillingly adopting a countywide, partisan vote after the Legislature passed an 11th-hour bill to overhaul how the district’s board is elected.
—Mark Dee
april 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2026
My apologies also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Those who came under suspicion were taken unwillingly to a military hospital in Pretoria, cut off from their families, and subjected to electric shocks.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
By the end of film, Lough somewhat unwillingly parts ways with SamBot—handing over the chatbot to Altman via tech journalist Kara Swisher—after pressure from producers worried about the legal risks of holding onto the deepfake.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
And after miraculously surviving the attack that left her with facial paralysis and a bullet forever lodged in her brain, Buttafuoco was immediately, unwillingly thrust into the spotlight.
—Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The narrative follows Kim Phúc into adulthood—her education, religious awakening, defection to Canada, and, by taking ownership of the photograph in which she was unwillingly portrayed, her eventual emergence as a humanitarian advocate for child victims of conflict.
—Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwillingly
Adverb
-
While in foster care, the daughter was involuntarily hospitalized and forcibly medicated, while the toddler and his brother started bed-wetting and engaging in self-harm.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
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Best had briefly been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital in June 2025, after blocking a vehicle entry on the east side of the White House, CNN and the NYT reported.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adverb
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Others have struggled to make up their minds, reluctantly choosing a candidate after being unimpressed with the field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
-
In a nod to Hollywood’s pull toward intellectual property, one storyline focuses on the studio embarking on a movie about the Kool-Aid Man, which Rogen’s character only reluctantly agrees to pursue.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwillingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwillingly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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