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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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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 unknown Though the direct inspiration for Untitled (circa 1967) remains unknown, Jaffe was at the time inspired by the demolition site of the Gare Montparnasse train station in 15th arrondissement of Paris, situated on the left bank of the River Seine. Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 While Luca’s future is unknown, both in terms of future surgeries and the functionality of his speech, vision and mobility, his bubbly personality has remained, according to News.com.au. Sam Gillette, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025 The extent of their injuries is unknown, though several were hospitalized and one was airlifted from the scene of the accident. T. Michelle Murphy, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2025 In 96% of the cases, patients were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unknown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknown
Adjective
  • The situation can be complicated further when a patient is navigating an unfamiliar medical system, has to overcome a language barrier, or takes a flight soon after an operation.
    Parizaad Khan Sethi, Allure, 2 May 2025
  • Listen to this article BALTIMORE — As April 2024 came to an end, Aaron Judge found himself in the throes of unfamiliar struggles.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • To keep it looking full and fresh all season, the manufacturer suggests a novel tip—just hit it with a hairdryer on low for effortless dusting.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2025
  • On March 27, 2025, the 21-year-old company quietly announced a new feature on its mobile app: an option that would give users the novel experience of seeing their friends’ content on Facebook.
    Steven Levy, Wired News, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These renderings obscure just how much conventional warfare took place in Vietnam.
    Made by History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Parsing a FromSoftware game's obscure plot is as tricky as taking down its brutal enemies.
    Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Moses’s book eddies around with the energy of someone reporting back from a very long and strange evening clicking through Wikipedia links, enjoying every chance to add a tangent.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
  • And the misfortune is in our participation in that strange loop.
    Akilah Sailers, Essence, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • On their own, Cheech, in his scuffed Crocs, walking the stretch of Venice Boardwalk ahead of his once (and maybe future) co-star went virtually unrecognized.
    Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • This mental labor, which often goes unrecognized and unspoken, is a form of cognitive multitasking that drains a person’s attention and well-being.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie turned the wizardly backstory into an epic adventure, opening a gateway for young unbeknownst fantasy fans everywhere while also delivering a classically wholesome story about the importance of family and a parent's unconditional love.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 1 July 2024
  • For a surprise at the end, unbeknownst even to King, Winfrey arranged a path lined with sparklers, framing the couple in a golden glow against the night sky.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
Adjective
  • Amid a wave of unprecedented tariffs, anxiety is running high for truck drivers like Helen, who makes her living delivering cargo containers from the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors to warehouses and other customers around Southern California.
    Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
  • Harvard, in return, protests its constitutional rights and academic independence, claiming this is an unprecedented government overreach.
    Larry P. Arnn, National Review, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • The book’s vivid digital art, collaged from her own photographs and manipulated in Photoshop, helped children connect with science and nature in new ways.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • You’re being invited to graduate from the lessons of your past and step into a new version of yourself.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unknown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknown. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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