Synonyms
Examples of unable in a Sentence
I was unable to afford the trip.
He was unable to play tennis after the injury.
Recent Examples on the Web
After more than 15 hours of deliberation over three days, jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the murder case against the rancher who was accused of killing an unarmed migrant on his property.
—
The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024
Because the case involves minors, the charges are sealed and NPR was unable to reach the defendants.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
The Richards case was one of the higher-profile shooting deaths by Sacramento-area law enforcement in recent years, spawning vigils, a lawsuit against the city by The Sacramento Bee and an 11-day trial in 2022 in federal court that ended with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024
The other quarter includes 27 delegates unable to get visas or passports, others who couldn't attend for various reasons, and 62 delegates still unconfirmed.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024
Today, 65% of student loan borrowers report having less than $1,000 in their bank account, struggling to afford short-term expenses and often unable to save over the long term.
—TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
Despite speaking with many high-profile names, both within the political and business world, No Labels was unable to find suitable leaders to take on this daring experiment in democracy.
—L. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024
But these loans, which turned China into the world’s largest official creditor to the developing world, have contributed to a debt crisis in the global South as some low-income countries have become overburdened and unable to make repayments.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024
By setting up hitters in advantageous counts, Luzardo was unable to get to his elite secondary offerings to neutralize hitters.
—Paul Johnson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024
Because the case involves minors, the charges are sealed and NPR was unable to reach the defendants.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
The Richards case was one of the higher-profile shooting deaths by Sacramento-area law enforcement in recent years, spawning vigils, a lawsuit against the city by The Sacramento Bee and an 11-day trial in 2022 in federal court that ended with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024
The other quarter includes 27 delegates unable to get visas or passports, others who couldn't attend for various reasons, and 62 delegates still unconfirmed.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024
Today, 65% of student loan borrowers report having less than $1,000 in their bank account, struggling to afford short-term expenses and often unable to save over the long term.
—TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
Despite speaking with many high-profile names, both within the political and business world, No Labels was unable to find suitable leaders to take on this daring experiment in democracy.
—L. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024
But these loans, which turned China into the world’s largest official creditor to the developing world, have contributed to a debt crisis in the global South as some low-income countries have become overburdened and unable to make repayments.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024
By setting up hitters in advantageous counts, Luzardo was unable to get to his elite secondary offerings to neutralize hitters.
—Paul Johnson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unable.' 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 unable
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unable. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unable
adjective
un·able
ˌən-ˈā-bəl 
ˈən-
: not able : incapable
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