as in early
occurring before the usual or expected time
the untimely arrival of our guests caught us by surprise
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Recent Examples of untimely
Snyder asked for a new trial on his conviction for defrauding the IRS in federal court filings in October, while federal prosecutors responded that his request was untimely and without merit.
—
Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The Found Object Society centers on a woman who, haunted by her parent’s untimely deaths, joins a mysterious secret society that lets her relive people’s final moments just by touching their personal objects.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
The Bills finished the game with 100 more yards than the Broncos, but were undone by untimely turnovers — five total as a team, including four by Josh Allen, who had committed only six turnovers through his first 14 playoff games prior to tonight.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer teased an untimely fate for Steve Harrington during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; following the finale, clips of a table read for that pivotal scene have been making the rounds.
—Josh Glicksman, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The Found Object Society centers on a woman who, haunted by her parent’s untimely deaths, joins a mysterious secret society that lets her relive people’s final moments just by touching their personal objects.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
The Bills finished the game with 100 more yards than the Broncos, but were undone by untimely turnovers — five total as a team, including four by Josh Allen, who had committed only six turnovers through his first 14 playoff games prior to tonight.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer teased an untimely fate for Steve Harrington during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; following the finale, clips of a table read for that pivotal scene have been making the rounds.
—Josh Glicksman, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untimely
Adjective
-
Early on in cosmic history, the Universe was composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, as no substantial quantities of heavier elements were formed during the early stages of the hot Big Bang.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And since leaving prison in early January, the preacher has wasted no time in spreading his gospel in a tranche of new songs published on his social media platforms.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Broadus' infant daughter, Codi, died earlier this month, after suffering several health complications following a premature birth.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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Fertilizer may trigger a premature growth spurt, too.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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From familiar faces to unexpected challengers, here’s who’s running for Senate and Congress.—
Kurtcia Collazo,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
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His Penguins are making an unexpected romp toward the Stanley Cup playoffs in a season they were expected to finish near the bottom of the NHL standings.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of analyzing every detail in a scene, the human brain quickly detects sudden motion or change and reacts first.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Demand for cross-border relocation, residency planning and citizenship consultancy services is being driven by geopolitical tensions and sudden policy shifts, advisers who work with ultra-high-net-worth clients told CNBC.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The disfigurement struck at an inopportune time.—
Harold Holzer,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
For these 16 celebrities, ish happened at the most inopportune times.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untimely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untimely. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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