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
The more senior players should, in theory, be setting standards and taking their younger team-mates along with them, but appear unable to do either.
—
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The world’s spare oil capacity comes from the Gulf states and would be unable to pass through the strait in the event of a closure, effectively sealing it off from the market, McNally said.
—Spencer Kimball,pippa Stevens, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
The city, unable to manage the dead and dying, converted those workshops into a mass grave.
—Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 28 Feb. 2026
And, we may have been raised to care for and even be responsible for a sibling but be unable to prevent them from being swallowed up by their addictive or violent behavior.
—Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
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Oliver Kay, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The world’s spare oil capacity comes from the Gulf states and would be unable to pass through the strait in the event of a closure, effectively sealing it off from the market, McNally said.
—Spencer Kimball,pippa Stevens, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
The city, unable to manage the dead and dying, converted those workshops into a mass grave.
—Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 28 Feb. 2026
And, we may have been raised to care for and even be responsible for a sibling but be unable to prevent them from being swallowed up by their addictive or violent behavior.
—Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unable. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unable
adjective
un·able
ˌən-ˈā-bəl 
ˈən-
: not able : incapable
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