UNPREDICTABLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

unpredictably

adverb

as in intermittently

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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 unpredictably Over time, the tags fall off or attach chaotically, meaning tags are inconsistent between cells and genes start turning on unpredictably. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 Outdoors is also a rough place to work, since humidity, temperature, and wind swing unpredictably. — New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026 Recent studies have proposed that these fluctuations are not purely random but occur within what is known as a chaotic attractor — a set of possible storm states within which the hurricane can evolve unpredictably. — Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 But high bromide content behaves unpredictably during fabrication. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 Wildlife with domoic acid poisoning can act unpredictably, the center said. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026 If China agrees to participate, that would create an open line for either side to send alerts when their country’s AI systems pose threats or behave unpredictably. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Norms do shift, sometimes unpredictably, as people watch one another live. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 The prospect of Helen Mirren playing the legendary author Patricia Highsmith at her most unpredictably misanthropic should be enough of a selling point for A Talent for Murder. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictably

Adverb

Parker’s hair was gathered into an enormous, layered, fishtail braid that starts high on the back of her head with a bow, its ends interlaced intermittently with the incredibly thick folds of the plaits.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
But according to Erika, his heart continued to beat intermittently, creating a cruel window of hope.

— Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of intermittently

Adverb

The participants in the meditation group slept more fitfully, with more frequent awakenings, than those who didn’t meditate.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Martin Filler The Met’s new Tristan und Isolde was a vocal triumph for Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres, but Yuval Sharon’s staging only fitfully captured the essence of Wagner’s masterpiece.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026

Definition of fitfully

Adverb

Without proper controls, productivity gains can unintentionally drive disproportionate cost growth.

— Sudipto Dasgupta, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
For Farrar, now 38, unintentionally becoming the Nostradamus of a surreal and often very dumb political era has been a bizarre experience — haunting, even.

— David Mack, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of unintentionally

Adverb

There’s also evidence that some mimicry happens unconsciously.

— Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 17 Sep. 2026
Perhaps the actions of England’s peasantry made such a formative impression on young Greengrass that he was unconsciously drawn to other stories with a similar thematic undercurrent.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of unconsciously

Adverb

However, Harvey said, such a demotion must be carefully implemented so as not to inadvertently punish Championship League teams investing the right way in the hopes of making the top flight.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Tightening your budget belt over a hypothetical is a surefire way to inadvertently cut revenue.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of inadvertently

Adverb

There are the now-traditional scenes in which Carrie learns to consciously control her telekinetic superpowers, previously manifested by accidentally setting off car alarms, opening mailboxes and causing a rain of rocks on her parents’ roof.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Trump seized on Monday upon an incident in Maricopa County, Arizona, where officials said Sunday that a contractor accidentally mailed 3,126 early ballots six days before they were supposed to be sent out.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of accidentally

Adverb

And, fortuitously for would-be sponsors, something happened in tennis that made these arrangements even more appealing.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fortuitously

Browse Nearby Words

unpredictable

unpredictably

unprejudiced

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“Unpredictably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictably. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unpredictably

adverb

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