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
Since parliamentary elections held at the beginning of his second term in 2022, Macron has been ruling without an absolute majority in parliament, ordinarily unable to pass bills with his lawmakers alone.
—
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 10 June 2024
Maisel has noticed that people with chronic stress are often unable to cope well—with issues big and small.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 June 2024
According to Brooke, landers used in previous, unrelated projects sometimes suffered from early instrumentation failure or were unable to withstand the depths.
—Robin Catalano, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024
McClatchy News was unable to find attorney information for Truesdell.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unable 
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 10 June 2024
Maisel has noticed that people with chronic stress are often unable to cope well—with issues big and small.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 June 2024
According to Brooke, landers used in previous, unrelated projects sometimes suffered from early instrumentation failure or were unable to withstand the depths.
—Robin Catalano, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024
McClatchy News was unable to find attorney information for Truesdell.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unable
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 16 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unable
adjective
un·able
ˌən-ˈā-bəl 
ˈən-
: not able : incapable
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