as in involuntarily
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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
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Gillum had left the state before police could draft paperwork to involuntarily commit him for psychiatric treatment, Lyons said.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
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Lyons said Gillum crossed state lines before his agency could prepare the paperwork to involuntarily commit him to psychiatric treatment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Wright reluctantly acceded to the changes, seeing the book club selection as a crucial opportunity for Black writing and a social and political milestone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Hitler comes to power; Lajos, by now a regional administrator, reluctantly carries out the Nazis’ orders, consigning the local Jewish population to death; Ilona and her husband flee to America by way of Switzerland.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwillingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwillingly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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