accidentally

adverb

Definition of accidentallynext
as in inadvertently

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Example Sentences

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 accidentally Like a number of Love’s utterances, this one seemed accidentally perfect. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 During her tenure, the office accidentally leaked voting system passwords, mailed voter registration postcards to 30,000 non-citizens, and lost a critical report taxpayers paid $25,000 to produce. — Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2026 Perkin had accidentally invented the world’s first synthetic dye. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026 Earlier this week, a developer version of a Mac computer software update accidentally included references to several upcoming Apple products, including a video of the AirPods with cameras in action. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accidentally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accidentally
  1. inadvertently
  2. unintentionally
  3. unwittingly
  4. unconsciously
  5. fortuitously
  6. carelessly
  7. casually
Adverb
  • But in a case of life imitating art, the show’s entire publicity strategy was inadvertently wrecked by a real-life aristocrat, after reports leaked that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was being eyed for a role in the series.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The filing also inadvertently included a note between a Fisher Phillips attorney and the city’s law office with an internal question about the case.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of inadvertently
Adverb
  • Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But they are unintentionally linked by their stars and sponsors.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of unintentionally
Adverb
  • The case led in 2022 to investigations of four German museums that in some cases unwittingly acted as intermediaries for sales between the dealers and art museums worldwide.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps unwittingly, a casual investor who tries to diversify with a S&P 500 index fund is staking a third of their investment in the Magnificent Seven.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of unwittingly
Adverb
  • Likewise, a professional who identifies strongly with a particular school of thought — in economics, medicine, management, or technology — will tend to unconsciously favor sources that reinforce that framework and discount those that challenge it.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But in reality, of course, this is just happening almost unconsciously.
    — Jinae West, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconsciously
Adverb
  • The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of fortuitously
Adverb
  • Omar Alderete, O’Nien’s second-half replacement, carelessly did the same thing for the late winner.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Since it was designated the first national recreation area in 1964, hordes of visitors have cut Lake Mead’s glassy surface with jet skis and boats, carelessly dropping belongings that may now wash up on shore.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of carelessly
Adverb
  • Reichenbach said it’s been alarming to her to see how casually her neighbors treat measles.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Sexualizing black women and casually mocking working class women is not accepted anymore.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of casually

Browse Nearby Words

accidental
accidentally
accidents
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Cite this Entry

“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidentally. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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