as in wrong
falling short of a standard this work is entirely unacceptable

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unacceptable Going uninsured is an unacceptable risk for most, as a single hospital stay could cost tens of thousands of dollars. The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 5 May 2025 While no number was agreed to, Republicans gave a look into what would be unacceptable for them. Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 1 May 2025 Cutting them to fund tax breaks for the wealthy is unacceptable. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025 Change fatigue can cause corporate leadership to become more willing to accept the unwelcome, and to normalize the unacceptable. Michael Peregrine, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unacceptable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unacceptable
Adjective
  • Ship was heading the wrong direction The training ship arrived at New York's Pier 17 and was open to the public to visit from May 13 to 17, according to the Mexican Consulate in New York.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Baltimore deserves credit for stepping up and sending Tullis-Joyce the wrong way, particularly against a cacophonous backdrop of angry United fans behind that goal.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.
    Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 24 May 2025
  • The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • Men and women respond to the Nazi dictatorship by becoming, at best, evasive and feebly self-justifying, at worst, morally broken.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
  • Anything under par around here in these conditions isn't a bad score.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • He's been deficient as a one-on-one defender; inconsistent as a bench scorer.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
  • Every leader has the opportunity to assess their strength of character relative to the 11 dimensions and to understand whether what could be a virtue manifests as a deficient (underdeveloped) or an excess (unsupported) vice, which could compromise judgment and well-being.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • However, her tragic demise spooks and haunts Jen, since her death is incredibly horrible and sad, rocking the whole Capesode community.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 14 May 2025
  • Jurors viewed for a fifth time in two days the video footage of the horrible beating that followed.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • The downsides are that DEET smells awful, is oily, and can damage anything with plastic in it, like synthetic clothing and camping gear.
    Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
  • The name itself isn’t awful, but actions have consequences.
    James Mirtle, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Djokovic knew he’d be seeded to play one of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and in the end landed Zverev, which isn’t a terrible outcome, but would leave him with a possible Sinner-Alcaraz double bill in the semifinals and final to lift the trophy.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce.
    Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unacceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unacceptable. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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