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
The film follows two single parents who accidentally end up with each other’s child’s backpacks, leaving their phones with the other person.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024
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In the science fiction film The Fly, a scientist accidentally transforms into a winged insect that ultimately destroys him.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
Investigators believe Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, were accidentally exposed to the same poison.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
An off-duty security guard accidentally shot himself at a Wisconsin Lutheran High School football game Friday night, sending the players and fans running for the exits, the school said in a statement.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accidentally 
Liza Esquibias, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
In the science fiction film The Fly, a scientist accidentally transforms into a winged insect that ultimately destroys him.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
Investigators believe Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, were accidentally exposed to the same poison.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
An off-duty security guard accidentally shot himself at a Wisconsin Lutheran High School football game Friday night, sending the players and fans running for the exits, the school said in a statement.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accidentally
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 8 Oct. 2024.
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