1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
those unknowing people who think that the world is a kindly place are in for a rude awakening
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unaware
not informed about or aware of something
the poor woman has been the unknowing target of some pretty vicious gossip
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unknowing
Was this teacher an unknowing servant of the patriarchy, as Kara Cooney would argue, or a naïve propagandist of the oil industry, as Riggs herself comes to believe?
—
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowing
Adjective
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Even Portugal, who have been naive defensively but have considerable pace in attack, could threaten in transition, and Italy will need to shore up that element of their game to avoid being caught out.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
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So, the whole thing just seems naive from people who’ve been oppressed by this murderous regime for 46 years.—
Fiction Non Fiction
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Rice was apparently unaware that a few hours earlier, at 1:14 A.M., the Austin-San Antonio office of the National Weather Service had sent a flash-flood warning for south-central Kerr County.—
John Seabrook,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
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They are bound to be unaware of their habit-forming training, which is simply a consequence of their working routinely with AI. Unsettling, for sure.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Comprehensive cell phone analysis can be just as powerful in clearing innocent drivers by proving no user interaction occurred.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
But the alternative is much worse: a world where the loss of innocent life is treated as inescapable, where no calamity can be prevented or bad situation reformed.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Residents are far from ignorant of Michigan’s law on train blockages.—
Ayah Imran,
Freep.com,
18 July 2025
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With the current events unfolding in the U.S. (as well as the ongoing struggle for People of Color), Hightower didn’t want to be ignorant of what was happening in their country.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Looking for their environmental DNA in scales, slime or skin cells that living beings shed all the time is a simpler way, Workman said.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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This involves flexible decision making beyond simple automation.—
Ian Gotts,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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By that point, both twins had passed out, though Joy is oblivious to any issue at this stage.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 July 2025
-
Altuve isn’t oblivious to his place on the leaderboard.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Jumbotron is a routine bit at Coldplay shows, with the camera scanning the crowd and landing on unsuspecting show attendees.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 July 2025
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In fact, the idea for the project began to take shape after Bad Shabbos producer Adam Mitchell heard about Weiner’s mother playing a harmless prank on an unsuspecting dinner guest.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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