as in involuntarily
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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 unwillingly
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
Remember that the members of the military and the National Guard who will be asked to walk these streets are, for the most part, here unwillingly.
—USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
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
Remember that the members of the military and the National Guard who will be asked to walk these streets are, for the most part, here unwillingly.
—USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwillingly
Adverb
-
Because gun violence has been left out of the marketing, viewers may be caught off guard and exposed to this content involuntarily.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Parents whose children are removed from their homes involuntarily have the right to appear before a judge within 24 hours.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
But Fox News Digital learned that a former athletics department administrator reluctantly accepted a voluntary retirement package, and then Berdo was hired shortly thereafter.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
At key moments of inflection, business leaders have often, if selectively, and even reluctantly, risen as a unified voice of patriotic purpose and moral authority.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwillingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwillingly. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
