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View synonyms for unawares

unawares

[ uhn-uh-wairz ]

adverb

  1. while not aware or conscious of a thing oneself; unknowingly or inadvertently.
  2. without warning; by surprise; suddenly; unexpectedly:

    to come upon someone unawares.



unawares

/ ˌʌnəˈwɛəz /

adverb

  1. without prior warning or plan; unexpectedly

    she caught him unawares

  2. without being aware of or knowing

    he lost it unawares

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of unawares1

First recorded in 1525–35; unaware + -s 1
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Example Sentences

It’s bad news if a flash flood comes when people are caught unawares, stuck at home, or in traffic.

I found it extremely disheartening that even after so many years of dealing with the war’s aftershocks, I can still be caught unawares of their intensity.

From Time

And, while these shifts are designed to make search easier for consumers, many businesses have been caught unawares, losing visibility on Google.

Know where your risks are, so that you’re not caught unawares when it happens.

From Vox

Such a woman would be much more difficult to catch unawares than a teenage escort trapped in a motel room.

As a result, journalists are often caught unawares when they pop.

And yet strange stuff happens all the time that takes investors and traders completely unawares.

Joined by international and Israeli activists, all wearing tee-shirts that read “I have a dream,” they caught the army unawares.

The Italian fleet was caught unawares by British warships, who sunk three cruisers and two destroyers.

This he did till an evil day when Aunty Rosa pounced upon him unawares and told him that he was "acting a lie."

And hence, possibly, arose the disquieting sensation that something was gathering, something that might take them unawares.

Instantly the captain sought to take advantage of it, thinking to catch Garnache unawares.

He did not dare to call assistance; an unguarded word might have slipped out unawares.

Queeker had been taken unawares, but he pressed his knees together, knitted his brows, and resolved not to be so taken again.

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