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

That the government is always caught unawares shows a depressing underinvestment in the waterworks of its cities and its rural areas.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2023

Because forecasters were caught unawares, so were local residents, who only expected perhaps a Category 2 storm.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2023

“Johannes!” a voice boomed from somewhere behind me, taking me unawares, “We’ve come to take you back to school!”

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane