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
Niall, for his part, only comes to hate himself more as gay acceptance goes mainstream, his initial distress over his sexuality compounded by humiliation at being unable to get past that distress.
—
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Jokic has been unable to deliver easy buckets near the rim or get Gobert into foul trouble.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
The Dartmouth was unable to confirm if a photograph of the work in situ is in fact now on view in the Nearburg Gallery.
—Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Key moment The Twins were unable to cash in on a pair of walks in the top of the eighth inning, stranding the bases loaded when Luke Keaschall popped up to the catcher in foul territory.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
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Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Jokic has been unable to deliver easy buckets near the rim or get Gobert into foul trouble.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
The Dartmouth was unable to confirm if a photograph of the work in situ is in fact now on view in the Nearburg Gallery.
—Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Key moment The Twins were unable to cash in on a pair of walks in the top of the eighth inning, stranding the bases loaded when Luke Keaschall popped up to the catcher in foul territory.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unable
adjective
un·able
ˌən-ˈā-bəl 
ˈən-
: not able : incapable
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