against (all) expectations
idiom
: although people thought it would be different : although people thought otherwise
Against (all) expectations, the birds survived.
Examples of against (all) expectations in a Sentence
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Kirby Lee | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Dick’s Sporting Goods on Wednesday blew past Wall Street’s earnings estimates in its fiscal second quarter and while the retailer did raise its full-year guidance as a result, the new outlook fell flat up against expectations.
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Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, as China has been powering forward largely against expectations, the United States and other advanced democracies have fallen into domestic dysfunction, calling their future power into question.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Iran’s approach to negotiations, against expectations, is now openly debated.
—Farideh Farhi, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2013
Instead, it’s being made in Washington by a once-obscure Louisiana lawyer who, against all expectations, became speaker of the House last year.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for against (all) expectations 
Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, as China has been powering forward largely against expectations, the United States and other advanced democracies have fallen into domestic dysfunction, calling their future power into question.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Iran’s approach to negotiations, against expectations, is now openly debated.
—Farideh Farhi, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2013
Instead, it’s being made in Washington by a once-obscure Louisiana lawyer who, against all expectations, became speaker of the House last year.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for against (all) expectations
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'against (all) expectations.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near against (all) expectations
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“Against (all) expectations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/against%20%28all%29%20expectations. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.
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