out of nowhere

Idioms

Suddenly, unexpectedly, as in That anonymous letter turned up out of nowhere. It is often put as come out of nowhere, as in Their team came out of nowhere and won the state championship. This term uses out of in the sense of “from,” and nowhere in the sense of “an unknown place.” For a synonym, see out of a clear blue sky.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But out of nowhere, one of the biggest, most popular scrolls ran a list of “27 Accounts to Make Your Day Brighter,” with mine in the number one slot.

From Literature

“I mean, I get how it might be weird. I texted you out of nowhere. And now I text you every day.”

From Literature

And—out of nowhere—he apparently believed I had a grudge against his sister.

From Literature

People looked up, alarmed by a girl appearing out of nowhere, shouting, but I rushed past them, straining to see through my tears.

From Literature

“Game friends aren’t real friends. Real friends are here. In person. Although, you know, they text each other now and then. They don’t just vanish out of nowhere.”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023