1
as in unfamiliar
happening or existing without one's knowledge
unknown to me was the fact that while I was out, my family was hurriedly preparing a surprise birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in novel
not known or experienced before
becoming a father brought unknown joy to his life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscure
not widely known
looking for a relatively unknown singer to record the song
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unknown
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
—
Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
But these unknown early writings suggest that he may be better understood as an immigrant writer—one of the gifted, ambivalent outsiders who remade American literature after World War II—whose most astonishing achievement was the all-American voice of On the Road and the books that came after.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
The minor discrepancies among measurements may even point toward a yet-unknown mystery of physics, Schlamminger says.
—Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026
Dozens of people died in the immediate aftermath, while the long-term death toll from radiation is unknown.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unknown
Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
But these unknown early writings suggest that he may be better understood as an immigrant writer—one of the gifted, ambivalent outsiders who remade American literature after World War II—whose most astonishing achievement was the all-American voice of On the Road and the books that came after.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
The minor discrepancies among measurements may even point toward a yet-unknown mystery of physics, Schlamminger says.
—Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026
Dozens of people died in the immediate aftermath, while the long-term death toll from radiation is unknown.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unknown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknown
Adjective
-
That gives you a chance to act quickly by freezing your credit, disputing unfamiliar accounts or contacting the lender.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Wheels meet legs The new video from Unitree is drawing attention for pushing humanoid mobility into unfamiliar territory—on wheels and ice.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 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
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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
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The movie is available on YouTube, while the original documentary has been taken off HBO's streaming services until 2029 due to an obscure non-disparagement clause contained within a deal the premium cable service made with Jackson in 1992, as Reed told Variety.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Human ears couldn't possibly distinguish the names of obscure songs in one bar's music round.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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By that time, unbeknownst to Kristina, AJ had already set his sights on Italy.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In the eight-part audio drama Babalu, Sherry Zhang died by suicide in 1989, leaving behind a baby daughter Luisa and, unbeknownst to her family, dozens of cassette tapes recording her innermost thoughts.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
-
Although attempts were made to wake her up through verbal and sternal stimuli, her difficulty breathing went unrecognized for 15 minutes.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Users should also check event logs for any unrecognized changes to DNS server settings.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
-
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
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Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unknown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknown. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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