What Is Another Way to Say “By Accident”?

Looking for synonyms for by accident? We’ve got you covered!

Here’s a list of other ways to say by accident.

  • Unintentionally
  • Inadvertently
  • Accidentally
  • By mistake
  • Unknowingly
  • Without intending to
  • By chance
  • Fortuitously
  • Incidentally
  • Serendipitously
  • Unexpectedly
  • Coincidentally
  • Unwittingly
  • By a fluke
  • Haphazardly

Want to learn how to say by accident professionally? Keep reading for examples and use cases.

1. Unintentionally

Use “unintentionally” when something happens without a deliberate plan or purpose.
Example: “He unintentionally deleted the annual report file from the shared drive.”

2. Inadvertently

“Inadvertently” is suitable for situations where an action or result occurs due to a lack of attention or by oversight.
Example: “She inadvertently sent the confidential email to the wrong distribution list.”

3. Accidentally

“Accidentally” is used for actions that occur by chance or without conscious intention.
Example: “The intern accidentally mixed up the meeting notes, causing some confusion.”

4. By Mistake

“By mistake” is appropriate when an action is performed erroneously or incorrectly.
Example: “The order for office supplies was placed twice by mistake, leading to an excess inventory.”

5. Unknowingly

“Unknowingly” is used when someone does something without awareness or knowledge.
Example: “He unknowingly used outdated data for the market analysis presentation.”

6. Without Intending To

“Without intending to” is a phrase used to indicate that an action was not planned or expected.
Example: “She solved a major technical issue without intending to while troubleshooting a minor glitch.”

7. By Chance

“By chance” is suitable for situations where something happens spontaneously or without planning.
Example: “He found a potential new client for the firm by chance while attending a community event.”

8. Fortuitously

“Fortuitously” is used to describe an event that happens by fortunate accident or chance.
Example: “The team fortuitously stumbled upon a breakthrough in their research.”

9. Incidentally

“Incidentally” is appropriate for an occurrence that is secondary to something else or happening by chance.
Example: “Incidentally, during the system upgrade, they discovered a way to improve processing speeds.”

10. Serendipitously

“Serendipitously” is used when an event occurs by a happy or beneficial chance.
Example: “She serendipitously met a leading expert in her field at a casual networking event.”

11. Unexpectedly

“Unexpectedly” is suitable for events that occur without warning or anticipation.
Example: “The CEO unexpectedly announced his retirement during the annual company meeting.”

12. Coincidentally

“Coincidentally” is used when two or more events occur at the same time by chance in a surprising manner.
Example: “Coincidentally, two competing companies released similar products on the same day.”

13. Unwittingly

“Unwittingly” is appropriate for an action done without full awareness or intention.
Example: “He unwittingly shared sensitive information during the public webinar.”

14. By a Fluke

“By a fluke” is used for something that happens by unusual or surprising luck.
Example: “By a fluke, she guessed the password to the locked document on her first try.”

15. Haphazardly

“Haphazardly” is suitable for an action or event that occurs in a random, disorganized, or unplanned manner.
Example: “The files were arranged haphazardly, making it difficult to locate important documents.”

Linda Brown