accidentally
adverb
ac·ci·dent·al·ly
ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē 
-ˈden-tᵊl-ē
-ˈden-tᵊl-ē
: in an accidental or unintended manner : by accident
I accidentally deleted the file.
The lock prevents the gate from opening accidentally.
Six lionfish were accidentally released from a home aquarium in Biscayne Bay, Fla., during Hurricane Andrew in 1992.—
Alcestis Cooky Oberg
Alcestis Cooky ObergThe Olympic test was thrown out after the test lab accidentally destroyed the backup sample … that's required to confirm a positive result.—Christie Aschwanden
Christie AschwandenHe bumped into her accidentally on purpose. [=he bumped into her intentionally but he tried to make it appear to be an accident]
Examples of accidentally in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the same interview, Garcia also recalled accidentally injuring a stunt performer in the same sequence.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Police and fire crews were sent around 3:30 p.m. Friday to an apartment in the Cove on 10 apartment complex at Hoover and 10 Mile roads after receiving a frantic 911 call from the mother, who said her child had accidentally shot himself.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2024
Watson claims the baggie was left inside the duffel bag accidentally after a deer hunting trip.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024
In addition to cheaper fares, there’s peace of mind in knowing the price upfront, and in being able to track any belongings accidentally left behind.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2024
No charges were filed against the boy who accidentally killed Christian Petillo, nor the boy’s parents.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Your husband’s gun should be safely locked in a gun case to prevent anyone from shooting themself in the foot (or you or your husband if a bullet should accidentally go through a wall).
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Tabitha accidentally becomes a sleuth, with Cold War dangers along the way.
—The Know, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Luggage gets lost, passports get misplaced and phones may not work at international destinations when they aren't connected to Wi-Fi.
To avoid the headaches and prepare for whatever may come your way (or what accidentally gets left behind), follow these simple tips.
—USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Police and fire crews were sent around 3:30 p.m. Friday to an apartment in the Cove on 10 apartment complex at Hoover and 10 Mile roads after receiving a frantic 911 call from the mother, who said her child had accidentally shot himself.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2024
Watson claims the baggie was left inside the duffel bag accidentally after a deer hunting trip.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024
In addition to cheaper fares, there’s peace of mind in knowing the price upfront, and in being able to track any belongings accidentally left behind.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2024
No charges were filed against the boy who accidentally killed Christian Petillo, nor the boy’s parents.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Your husband’s gun should be safely locked in a gun case to prevent anyone from shooting themself in the foot (or you or your husband if a bullet should accidentally go through a wall).
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Tabitha accidentally becomes a sleuth, with Cold War dangers along the way.
—The Know, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Luggage gets lost, passports get misplaced and phones may not work at international destinations when they aren't connected to Wi-Fi.
To avoid the headaches and prepare for whatever may come your way (or what accidentally gets left behind), follow these simple tips.
—USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accidentally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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