as in sudden
not expected
the failure of the backup generator was unexpected and a contingency for which we weren't prepared
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Recent Examples of unexpected
And in the center of this unexpected industry is a generation of players and operators who treat claw machines not as games, but as engines for making money.
—
Anna Rahmanan, thehustle.co, 9 Jan. 2026
The one-time toothpaste mascot only begins to find his way when an unexpected acting call leads him to start working for a rental family service, which hires him out to play stand-in roles in strangers’ lives.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
After two years of construction, which included installing a kitchen and a pizza room and an unexpected $2 million in additional construction and design costs, this restaurant at Victory Plaza is ready to serve.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Amid the countless reactions to the 9/11 terror attack, one came from a source that some might have found unexpected.
—Alexander Larman, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unexpected
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexpected
sudden
Adjective
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Other affected customers, like KHOU meteorologist Pat Calvin, noted how the sudden technological disconnect felt like the return of a bygone era.—
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No one is going to care about short-term interest rates if the dollar starts tanking or there is a sudden and widespread loss of confidence in the Fed’s ability to maintain inflation low and labor markets stable over the long-term.—
Cite this Entry
“Unexpected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexpected. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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