unawares
Americanadverb
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while not aware or conscious of a thing oneself; unknowingly or inadvertently.
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without warning; by surprise; suddenly; unexpectedly.
to come upon someone unawares.
adverb
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without prior warning or plan; unexpectedly
she caught him unawares
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without being aware of or knowing
he lost it unawares
Etymology
Origin of unawares
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Harteveldt also said the airlines are making schedule changes well ahead of peak summer travel season so as not to catch travelers unawares.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
All of those clips are mesmerizing and alluring and haunting, as if we’re actually looking at invisible spirits or fairies captured unawares.
From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
Although heavy rain had been battering the area for hours, many, like Guillermo Serrano Pérez and his family, were caught unawares by the force of the floods.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2024
Because forecasters were caught unawares, so were local residents, who only expected perhaps a Category 2 storm.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 25, 2023
She appeared to be cross-questioning me, attempting to draw from me information unawares.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
