as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
a team that is notorious throughout the league for its record of unfair play
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Recent Examples of unfair
The case includes claims for trademark infringement and unfair trade practices that center on how Victor Maitland’s work was later used for substantial profits enjoyed by others.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Machado also questioned the legitimacy of Venezuela’s electoral institutions, describing the July 2024 presidential election as fundamentally unfair and saying nearly 40% of eligible voters were unable to vote.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
The strike is based on an unfair labor practice charge filed by the National Union of Healthcare Workers against the two Kindred hospitals.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Getty Images In the frenzied state of whether the Los Angeles Dodgers have an unfair economic advantage – especially after Kyle Tucker signed his record four-year, $240 million deal with the club – talks of a salary cap have swirled.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfair
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Machado also questioned the legitimacy of Venezuela’s electoral institutions, describing the July 2024 presidential election as fundamentally unfair and saying nearly 40% of eligible voters were unable to vote.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
The strike is based on an unfair labor practice charge filed by the National Union of Healthcare Workers against the two Kindred hospitals.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Getty Images In the frenzied state of whether the Los Angeles Dodgers have an unfair economic advantage – especially after Kyle Tucker signed his record four-year, $240 million deal with the club – talks of a salary cap have swirled.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfair
Adjective
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Gamers will know Brok as the beloved weapons dealer with an unrivaled artistry for creative, foul-mouthed curses.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
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For starters, 50-foot foul poles were added at each end of the field and work was done in both bullpens.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Adjective
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Microsoft took months to fix Remote Desktop disconnection issues, then shipped a Windows Update that wiped out Copilot, and released updates that duplicated the Task Manager and created a nasty system recovery bug.—
Tom Warren,
The Verge,
29 Jan. 2026
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Those might have increased here because of weak data, like the nasty drop in consumer confidence yesterday, or because of the expectation a new Fed chair will be more dovish.—
Kelly Evans,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfair. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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