somehow

American  

[suhm-hou] / 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

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

But it was a world that could somehow support a giant predator.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

"But the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession, that he was there and present at the time of the shooting."

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

“The state wants you to believe this was a confession, that he was somehow there in person at the time of the shooting,” Sanft told jurors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

"We've got to alleviate the pressure somehow or we will break... But prison spaces could be made available if we maintained buildings properly," they explained.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

I regain control of the team, get back upright on the runners, and somehow get out of Anchorage.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• anyway