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by accident

ADVERB
unawares
Synonyms
STRONG
short
WEAK
aback abruptly accidentally by mistake by surprise carelessly ignorantly inadvertently mistakenly off guard sudden surprisingly unconsciously unexpectedly unintentionally unknowingly unprepared unready unwittingly
Antonyms
WEAK
consciously knowingly

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.

We believe none of this is by accident.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

He told the BBC that he "fell into it by accident" after being made redundant from a job selling fishing tackle.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

A legendary NFL coach found linebacker Rod Martin not by scouting him at USC, but almost by accident.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

"To be honest, it was by accident, as most discoveries are," Yang said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

More by accident than design, Brother Rufus spun around and sent the scalding contents of his mug splashing full into the rat’s eyes.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

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