1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
be careful when putting your hands in even an inoperative garbage disposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
looking for an expert to fix the inoperative grandfather clock
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in invalid
having no legal or binding force
the decision of the state's supreme court has rendered the law inoperative
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inoperative
Although there several election ballot scanners were inoperative at multiple polling locations in Cambria County in Pennsylvania, no widespread voting problems had been reported by the late afternoon.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
The undercover sources were with him every step of the way, picking him up from his home, traveling to Nashville, and providing him with inoperative explosives, prosecutors said.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
On Tuesday morning, several election ballot scanners were inoperative at multiple polling locations in Pennsylvania.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
By June 73 per cent of the country’s thermal power generating units had been rendered inoperative.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
The undercover sources were with him every step of the way, picking him up from his home, traveling to Nashville, and providing him with inoperative explosives, prosecutors said.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
On Tuesday morning, several election ballot scanners were inoperative at multiple polling locations in Pennsylvania.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
By June 73 per cent of the country’s thermal power generating units had been rendered inoperative.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
-
Technology teams were left stranded, waiting months for essential components or scrambling to find alternatives from dormant inventories to maintain continuity.—
Archaana Pattabhii,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Like the virus that causes chicken pox (varicella-zoster), HPV can lie dormant in the body for decades.—
Liz Szabo,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As a junior at Yale, Yung had become a citizen in the 1850s, but in the harsher legal climate of 1898 the State Department decided his citizenship was invalid.—
Steve Inskeep,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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When Min’s wealthy grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) pressures him to leave his artist life behind for an important role in the family’s corporation in Korea, Min scrambles to find a way to stay in the U.S., given that his student visa is about to become invalid.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Signs that frozen chicken has gone bad include freezer burn, an off smell or texture, and discoloration.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
-
Winston will be an example of an off the field leader Dart can learn from, which is likely the reason for Winston earning a two-year contract compared to Wilson’s one-year deal.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Conservatives quickly lambasted Bondi for broken promises.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
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In addition to his hands, Smith has an extensive injury history, including a broken fibula, a torn meniscus, a fractured wrist and a high-ankle sprain.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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What would a negative or null result imply about the frequency of inhabited planets in the galaxy?—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Numerous state legislatures, heavily lobbied by commercial industries, have preempted or challenged Rights of Nature laws, rendering them null, void, and wholly unenforceable.—
India Nye Wenner,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In the 13th century, the papacy was vacant for almost three years before the election of Gregory X, who tightened up conclave rules.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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The lot had been vacant since the early 1900s when this house was completed in 2018.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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But the remaining chargers were inoperable 31% of the time, Hartmann said in testimony on Hettleman’s bill.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2025
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The Justice Department noted in court filings that this will eventually render the app inoperable.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Despite the Dolphins rookies’ apparent willingness to step up in 2025, the truth is the team has a leadership void with the departures of defensive tackle Calais Campbell and offensive tackle Terron Armstead.—
C. Isaiah Smalls II,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2025
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The president claimed this week that pardons issued by former President Biden should be void because they were signed by autopen.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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