as in suddenly
without warning
the thunderstorm caught us unawares, and we scrambled to get off the ridge as lightning started to flash
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Recent Examples of unawares
The unfinished portrait drawing was a Regency fashion, as executed by professional society artists Thomas Lawrence and Richard Cosway, where the intention was to capture personality unawares, unstudied, as in life.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025
Short squeezes can happen when a troubled company bounces back, catching doubters unawares.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 22 July 2025
However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
This was not the first time the Alaska Volcanic Observatory (AVO) had been caught unawares by Veniaminof, even with rigorous monitoring.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025
Short squeezes can happen when a troubled company bounces back, catching doubters unawares.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 22 July 2025
However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
This was not the first time the Alaska Volcanic Observatory (AVO) had been caught unawares by Veniaminof, even with rigorous monitoring.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unawares
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unawares
Adverb
-
Uranus in your 11th House of Friends can suddenly change group plans or expectations without much notice.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
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And what once looked like a breakthrough moment for this franchise is suddenly hanging in the balance – not gone, but quickly evaporating.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Adverb
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There are mud pools from Yellowstone National Park that have a squeamish gurgle, and hearing them amid a crackling bonfire feels unexpectedly harmonious, even plausible.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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The film follows two former lovers (Melchior and Mylchreest) who unexpectedly reunite on a Christmas night in Porto.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unawares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unawares. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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