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 Youthful ambition bequeathed them unpredictably shifting time signatures, a daunting nylon-string intro, some odd musical shifts during the guitar-solo section, and a long list of other complexities. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Cloud spending, which grew unpredictably when the technology was new, can now be forecast using years of historical data. — Ameya Kanitkar, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 This movement from the moon causes Earth’s rotation to slow — but our planet’s rotation also fluctuates unpredictably from year to year. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Jazz was unpredictably fluid, a group mind thinking in real time. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 But patients also need confidence that review standards will not shift unpredictably after sponsors and investigators have designed trials in consultation with the agency. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Children played with buscaniguas, small chasing firecrackers that darted unpredictably across the ground. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 Although flu seasons can vary in disease severity, the virus mutates so unpredictably that pandemic flu seasons – like those in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009 – are a recurring possibility. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 The soft jersey fabric of these joggers gives you full leg coverage without feeling heavy or hot, which matters when cabin temperatures swing unpredictably. — Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpredictably

Adverb

By contrast, talks on the war between Russia and Ukraine have been convened intermittently, in multiple locations, and not once with all the relevant actors (Kyiv, Moscow, Washington, and key European states) at the table.

— Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Then, winter returned for a brief April interlude, to be followed by an intermittently toasty and foggy May.

— Laura Ness, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of intermittently

Adverb

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
That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026

Definition of fitfully

Adverb

But the burden of trying to achieve something everyone craved unintentionally, but perceptibly, skewed their priorities.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Her actions unintentionally turn Souta into a three-legged chair by the mischievous cat Daijin, sending Suzume on a journey to rescue Souta and prevent further disasters.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of unintentionally

Adverb

His opinion will be better received, and people will unconsciously be giving his appearance green flags and listening without any distraction.

— Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
There is also bias at play, which affects decision-making, even unconsciously.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026

Definition of unconsciously

Adverb

Ultimately, efforts to control AI's pace could inadvertently create a dangerous, unpredictable environment, driven by predictable human competitive incentives.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
In each of the others, the model had been granted internet access either intentionally or inadvertently.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of inadvertently

Adverb

And fortuitously, Napalm Death, who played a 19-minute set, espouse the same lefty politics as NPR, in fact maybe even a little more leftist, all things considered, since Barney Greenway wore a Crass T-shirt to the gig.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Dean Fleischer Camp directed the film, which was originally meant to stream on Disney+, but fortuitously, things changed and, in 2024, the film was given a theatrical release.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 June 2026

Definition of fortuitously

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unpredictable

unpredictably

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“Unpredictably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpredictably. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unpredictably

adverb

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