unsuspecting

adjective

ˌən-sə-ˈspek-tiŋ How to pronounce unsuspecting (audio)
Definition of unsuspectingnext
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment sidewalk vendors selling bogus gems to unsuspecting tourists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 unsuspecting The Better Business Bureau says scammers are targeting renters and unsuspecting home sellers through sophisticated online schemes that have grown a lot over the years. — T.j. Anthony, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Billups is accused of participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million. — Ed White, Twin Cities, 29 June 2026 Typically, cast members identify an unsuspecting service member or veteran from among park guests earlier the same day, but for Veteran’s Day, representatives are chosen from among cast members who've served. — Eve Chen, USA Today, 14 June 2026 Named the SpiderCam, the prototype from Northwestern University replicates the manner in which the spiders' eyes allow the creatures to gauge distances before making a surprise sideways jump at some unsuspecting victim minding its own business. — Shirl Leigh june 19, New Atlas, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsuspecting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuspecting
  1. naive
  2. innocent
  3. inexperienced
  4. simple
  5. unwary
Adjective
  • The cyclical reality awaiting ‘naive capital’ Allianz is far from the only insurer to have prospered through recent upheavals.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 July 2026
  • But performing fealty to that naïve and impoverished picture of judging had become nearly de rigueur for both liberals and conservatives.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of naive
Adjective
  • All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • That law predates the much wider United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which took effect in 1994, giving ships the right of innocent passage through any country's territorial waters without paying a fee.
    — Joanne Stocker, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Over the same period, entry-level head count at the high-intensity firms rose 12%, contradicting predictions and fears that young or inexperienced workers would be most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Immer and Lois work with land stewards to find projects that make sense for eager but often inexperienced volunteers.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • As for the volunteers, the goal is simple—help someone stay safe before the heat turns into an emergency.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Evidence for at-home tools is thinner than for professional manual drainage, but the simplest options can offer mild circulation and surface-lymph support at a low price.
    — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • Flatheads aren’t built for extended chases like their streamlined cousins, preferring instead to dart out from hiding and devour unwary prey.
    — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
  • Unless accelerated by a tanning bed, skin damage can take years, if not decades to develop, experts say, leaving today’s unwary youth at risk for early skin aging and lethal skin cancers such as melanoma.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 19 May 2026
Definition of unwary

Browse Nearby Words

unsuspected
unsuspecting
unsuspicious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsuspecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuspecting. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unsuspecting

Nglish: Translation of unsuspecting for Spanish Speakers

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