unexpected claims

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "unexpected claims" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to assertions or statements that are surprising or not anticipated. For example, "The report included several unexpected claims that challenged previous assumptions." Alternative expressions include "surprising assertions" and "unforeseen statements."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

It is now $71 million below the $153 million required as a cushion against unexpected claims.

The New York Times

They said: 'Tear-jerkingly effective.' (Publishers Weekly) Lottery (8/1) Patricia Wood William Heinemann £12.99 A learning-disabled lottery winner deals with unexpected claims on his wealth.

The Guardian - Books

But it also results from the need for banks to protect their own balance-sheets in the face of some unexpected claims on their capital.The result is that banks are paying much more to borrow than normal, particularly compared with governments.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Subsequent months have attested to the truth of my Swedish friend's unexpected claim.

The Guardian - Opinion

Russia recently levied an unexpected claim for $1 billion in back taxes against BP's joint-venture, TNK-BP.Valero Energy, an independent oil refiner, agreed to buy Premcor, a smaller rival, in a deal worth around $8 billion.

The Economist

This would be a substantial drain on the resources of the PPF, funded by a levy on private DB pension schemes.But it is an unexpected claim that has caused alarm bells to ring.

The Economist

The defence is making the unexpected claim that Pistorius screams like a woman when he is anxious and therefore neighbours confused his cries for help with those of a female victim.

The Guardian

The Liberal Democrat leader made the unexpected claim in an interview with the Guardian, in which he said the way politics works is "bust" and described Westminster as a "joke".

The Guardian

"If Hank Greenberg is getting hit with unexpected liability claims, the competition is also being hit with them," said Andrew Barile, an insurance consultant in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

The New York Times

(As part of their risk management efforts, insurers buy "reinsurance" from other insurance companies to reduce their exposure to unexpected high claims from policyholders. The reinsurer assumes a predetermined portion of the risk).

Huffington Post

On December 31, the nation's for-profit and nonprofit health insurance companies were holding $97.3 billion in risk-based capital to cover unexpected medical claims - six times more than state regulators require, according to Citigroup Global Markets.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In journalism, distinguish between "unexpected claims" that refer to surprising verbal statements and those referring to insurance filings.

Common error

Avoid using "unexpected claims" as a synonym for "false claims". Just because a claim is surprising or unpredicted does not mean it is inaccurate or unfounded. Use precise modifiers like "erroneous" or "unverified" if you intend to question the truth of the statement.

Linguistic Context

As a noun phrase, "unexpected claims" typically functions as the direct object of a verb (e.g. "covered", "faced" or "made") or the object of a preposition (e.g. "against"). According to Ludwig AI, it is often paired with verbs related to financial management or reporting.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Sports

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unexpected claims" is a robust and versatile phrase used to describe assertions, demands or liabilities that deviate from predicted outcomes. Ludwig AI shows that it is particularly prevalent in financial reporting (referring to insurance or capital requirements) and political journalism (referring to surprising public statements). While the exact phrase count is relatively low for match 100 results, its variants are a staple of high-quality English prose. Writers should be careful to distinguish between the financial meaning (unpredicted payouts) and the rhetorical meaning (surprising assertions) to ensure clarity. Overall, it is a sophisticated choice for any context requiring the description of unforeseen developments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unforeseen claims

Implies the claims could not have been predicted even with reasonable planning

unforeseeable claims

Legalistic tone suggesting that predicting the claims was impossible

unforeseen demands

Often used interchangeably in financial contexts regarding capital

unanticipated demands

Shifts the focus from assertions to required actions or payments

unexpected assertions

Focuses specifically on the declarative nature of the statement

surprising allegations

Adds a layer of shock and implies a potential for wrongdoing

sudden claims

Emphasizes the speed or immediacy with which the claims appeared

unpredicted statements

More neutral and often used in data-driven or academic contexts

startling claims

Conveys a higher degree of shock or public interest

contingent claims

A technical financial term for claims that depend on a specific event

FAQs

How to use "unexpected claims" in a sentence?

You can use it in financial contexts like, "The bank held extra capital to cover "unexpected claims" on its reserves", or in news reporting such as, "The politician made several "unexpected claims" during the live interview".

What can I say instead of "unexpected claims"?

Depending on your specific meaning, you might use "unforeseen claims", "surprising assertions", or "unanticipated demands".

Is "unexpected claims" formal enough for a business report?

Yes, it is a standard professional term. It appears frequently in reputable publications like The Economist and The New York Times to describe financial liabilities or surprising developments in legal cases.

What is the difference between "unexpected claims" and "unexpected statements"?

While both refer to surprising information, "claims" often implies a demand for something (like money or rights) or a formal assertion of fact, whereas "unexpected statements" is more general and can include any form of spoken or written remark.