somehow

American  

[suhm-hau] / ˈsʌmˌhaʊ /

adverb

1. in some way not specified, apparent, or known.

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idioms

1. somehow or other, in an undetermined way; by any means possible.

   She was determined to finish college somehow or other.

somehow British  

/ ˈsʌmˌhaʊ /

adverb

1. in some unspecified way

2. Also: somehow or other. by any means that are necessary

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somehow More Idioms  

1. see under or other.

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Etymology

Origin of somehow

First recorded in 1655–65; some + how ¹

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Explanation

Somehow means "in some unknown way" or "by some means." When you watch a superhero movie, you know that the heroine will somehow escape the trap set by the evil villain — you're just not sure exactly how she'll do it. Your best friend might not notice your new haircut, but he still might remark, "You look different somehow." When you use this adverb in this particular way, it means "in an unknown way or for an unknown reason." So your pal knows you changed something, but he can't quite figure out what it is. When somehow first appeared in print, around 1660, it was in the phrase "somehow or other."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

somehow

Yeah, it’s also that our weakness for money, or the power of money, in this culture also causes us somehow to think that if you’re wealthy, you’re also wise rather than just ruthless, right?

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

For instance, the line “The medicine will help you to: Kill as many myeloma cells as possible” was mistranslated as instructing the patient to somehow kill as many myeloma cells as possible.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

That would mean each vial somehow vaccinated 2.4 babies, which Yi said would be medically and practically impossible nationwide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

“I didn’t want to be the girl who was eating lunch alone because she was lonely, but the girl who did it because she was somehow special.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

“Edda,” I introduced myself, wondering somehow if this was all really happening, or whether exhaustion from my travels was causing an elaborate hallucination.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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