as in strange
not known or experienced before
ordered an unfamiliar wine and was surprised to find that it was much drier than what they were used to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ignorance
the state of being unaware or uninformed
some intense studying rapidly remedied my unfamiliarity with the subject in time for the exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfamiliar
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
For those unfamiliar with USH’s WaterWorld venue, the Grand Pirate Show will lean into its best offerings — stunts and fight choreography, special effects, watercraft, pyrotechnics, and audience engagement — for an epic show running on select nights between April 23 and May 16.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
With time, any initial uneasiness and unfamiliarity on the part of our students gives way to a clearer understanding of preparedness and the confidence to act as their own first line of defense.
—Gayle Pearlstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Adjective
The trail itself wasn't unfamiliar territory.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
For those unfamiliar with USH’s WaterWorld venue, the Grand Pirate Show will lean into its best offerings — stunts and fight choreography, special effects, watercraft, pyrotechnics, and audience engagement — for an epic show running on select nights between April 23 and May 16.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Because of his smaller size and the coaches’ unfamiliarity with his game, Hicks was placed on the school’s second-level 15U prep team.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
With time, any initial uneasiness and unfamiliarity on the part of our students gives way to a clearer understanding of preparedness and the confidence to act as their own first line of defense.
—Gayle Pearlstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfamiliar
Adjective
-
The truck had been at the head of a column of seven rescue vehicles, all of which had received clearance from the tower to cross Runway 4 at Taxiway D and head toward a United Airlines flight that was evacuating due to a strange odor onboard.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
On World Rhythms, Lockwood trusts the listener to hear the arc of its noises, to trace their emergence and disappearance, their strange, seductive confluence.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From top to bottom, this administration embodies the perversity, ignorance and belligerence of its leader.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
-
This action demonstrates the president’s monumental cruelty, total lack of empathy and compassion, pathological narcissism, boundless vengefulness, abysmal ignorance and glaring immaturity.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In any case, this new film can be watched without having seen any of the previous chapters, though that’s mostly because the plot is cookie-cutter generic.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
1 May 2026
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
James Talarico is trying to sell a novel brand of Christian politics in a deep-red state.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Then there was the day in 1990 one of our researchers discovered at Yale’s Beinecke Library a set of page proofs of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The tragic death of Diogo Jota was unprecedented, and there was no time for Slot or his players to really grieve because the new season was just five weeks away.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There is the lamb-like dreamer, Wesley So, and the trollish Hikaru Nakamura, who believes that his unprecedented success as a streamer has secured him a greater legacy than any prestigious chess title would.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the Moon moves through your 11th House of Friends, collaboration brings fresh direction.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off their first January at home in 11 years, were intent on rebuilding their defense.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Several times in the last couple of decades, Microsoft has released source code for the original MS-DOS operating system that kicked off its decades-long dominance of consumer PCs.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At Fairmont Bagel, dig into its original poppy-seed bagel.—
Megan Wallitsch,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The cause of the fire is unknown.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The status of his triumphal arch is unknown, as is the question of who will pay for it.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfamiliar. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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