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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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But in the transactional world of Trump, Musk, and DOGE, the concept of career civil servants taking lower-paying, apolitical work to serve an intangible greater good is naive at best.—
Adam Chandler,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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The idea sounds simple, even naive: Fix the money, fix the world.—
Bryan Benson,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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New York lawyer Emil Bove, who was one of President Trump’s criminal defense attorneys and is now principal associate deputy attorney general, is handing out the orders, but Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump himself are not unaware of the terrible machinations.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2025
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That also describes the single-minded Clements, who averages eight points and six rebounds but was unaware of Lockett’s injury situation heading into Friday’s game.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This innocent man spent over three decades behind bars.—
Yash Roy,
CNN,
23 Feb. 2025
-
The story itself was a typically innocent Shirley Temple tale, in this a young girl who tries to reconcile her parents and her grandfather after her mother marries a Yankee.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Put simply, many Americans are woefully ignorant about the structure and features of their government.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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Reading it, one is reminded, once again, that Trump is a politician who is cunning but semiliterate and ignorant.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Yellow is the simplest, and purple is the most difficult.—
New York Times Games,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
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Its simple style can be dressed up with your best evening wear or paired with casual outfits to be your next wardrobe staple.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Proponents of the Build Back Better agenda, in convincing themselves that the hot economy was transformative for workers, appeared oblivious to the genuine concerns of the electorate.—
Jason Furman,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2025
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The Warriors’ front office isn’t oblivious to this notion.—
Anthony Slater,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The quick moving crooks tend to steal pricey Beats headphones and Apple Air Pods from their unsuspecting victims, police said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Scammers have been sending texts to unsuspecting taxpayers.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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