UNPLANNED Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

unplanned

adjective

ˌən-ˈpland

Definition of unplanned

as in accidental

happening by chance an unplanned change in our itinerary—we got lost!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in impromptu

made or done without previous thought or preparation stumbled through a completely unplanned acceptance speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unplanned Spencer's attorneys argued at trial that the killing was an unplanned crime of passion, while prosecutors argued that Spencer intentionally killed Karen in a painful way. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 June 2026 Informal settlements in South Africa are unplanned residential areas that are common in and around big cities where people looking for housing live in shacks or other makeshift structures. — ABC News, 9 June 2026 The failure was blamed on the collapse of the H3’s payload support structure, damaging the rocket’s second stage and leading to the unplanned separation of the satellite from the launch vehicle. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 June 2026 Set in a conservative fishing village in Kuala Terengganu, the film follows a boatman struggling with addiction and a batik artisan whose lives intersect after an unplanned pregnancy. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unplanned

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unplanned

Adjective

Chomentowski lost her son in 2020 to an accidental drug overdose.

— Brianna Wallen, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Police said Rushing's cause of death was likely an accidental drowning.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Definition of accidental

Adjective

Arepas and coffee anchor impromptu support circles, as grieving customers cling to fragile hope for the missing.

— Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
An impromptu blind date with a handsome rapist ends with Esther punching him square in the nose, his blood gushing through her fingers.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

Definition of impromptu

Adjective

Artisan Market Thoughtful, small-batch cookies made with intention and inspired by unexpected flavors.

— RS Editors, Rolling Stone, 2 July 2026
And while many know Mariska Hargitay from her decades-long run on Law & Order or as one of the Knicks' biggest hype women, she can also be considered among fashion's unexpected trendsetters.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 2 July 2026

Definition of unexpected

Adjective

Outside hospitals, temporary shelters and improvised morgues, relatives continue posting photographs and names of missing family members on social media, hoping someone might recognize them or provide information about their fate.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
An improvised rescue operation is searching for survivors after Venezuela’s historic earthquakes.

— Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 1 July 2026

Definition of improvised

Adjective

Leigh is known for making films in a collaborative, improvisational process with his performers and has stayed close with O’Flynn through the years.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 29 June 2026
The 34th annual edition of this popular festival, which focuses on improvisational, funk, roots and various styles of jam band music, takes place at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

— Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Definition of improvisational

Browse Nearby Words

unperturbed

unplanned

unplausible

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unplanned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unplanned. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unplanned

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes