1
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
an inapt but well-meaning attempt to inject some humor into the proceedings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a recruit who was utterly inapt for most soldierly duties, so he spent most of his time playing in the army band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inapt
If the codes don’t do this, or do this poorly, the remainder of any statistical analysis is rendered inapt and misleading.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
As should be clear from Carr’s manifestly inapt use of those labels, his agenda goes far beyond enforcing any particular FCC rule.
—Jacob Sullum, Oc Register, 24 Mar. 2026
The precedent is inapt, not least because the media landscape then was different with far fewer news sources.
—The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025
Beyond the application of arguably inapt legal and regulatory standards, technical and operational challenges may likewise hinder deAI adoption.
—Charlyn Ho, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The result invites obvious yet not inapt comparisons to the work of Terrence Malick, but Bentley’s film—for all its crystalline imagery, its vision of Grainier’s home as a fallen Eden, and its air of metaphysical wonderment—unfolds in a more dramatically direct, compacted register.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The visual flair peaks in the first episode, along with the series’ shallow, if not necessarily inapt, insight into life in this particular time and place.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
As should be clear from Carr’s manifestly inapt use of those labels, his agenda goes far beyond enforcing any particular FCC rule.
—Jacob Sullum, Oc Register, 24 Mar. 2026
The precedent is inapt, not least because the media landscape then was different with far fewer news sources.
—The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025
Beyond the application of arguably inapt legal and regulatory standards, technical and operational challenges may likewise hinder deAI adoption.
—Charlyn Ho, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The result invites obvious yet not inapt comparisons to the work of Terrence Malick, but Bentley’s film—for all its crystalline imagery, its vision of Grainier’s home as a fallen Eden, and its air of metaphysical wonderment—unfolds in a more dramatically direct, compacted register.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The visual flair peaks in the first episode, along with the series’ shallow, if not necessarily inapt, insight into life in this particular time and place.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inapt
Adjective
-
Horner seemed calm and articulate and also made inappropriate jokes during the interview, Espinoza said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Swalwell has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior with female staffers, which his camp argues are coming from online influencers connected to his opponents.—
Julie Watts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If she is ultimately deemed mentally unfit to stand trial, she could be committed to a secure mental health facility rather than face prison under Massachusetts law.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The president is unfit to serve, and lives are at stake.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Unless the seeds were stored in a damp or otherwise unsuitable location, seed germination rates don’t decline all at once.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Corn is an unsuitable companion plant for peppers due to its towering size.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2004, after years of incompetent, wasteful and corrupt agencies obstructing basic and legal public records requests, the California Assembly and Senate voted unanimously to put Proposition 59 before voters.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The homeless man accused of stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina light-rail train has been deemed incompetent to stand trial in his state case, but federal authorities vowed the decision will not impact their own case against him.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
County officials also said Freidenrich’s management of the treasurer’s office led to delays in issuing refunds to schools, filing tax liens and cashing property tax checks, which resulted in incorrect late fees and penalties for taxpayers.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Any assertion that city single-family homeowners are being double taxed would be incorrect.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
-
The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.—
Daniel Akst,
WSJ,
2 Sep. 2022
Adjective
-
Once a technically complicated legal rarity used to challenge improper incarcerations, habeas corpus petitions have become the predominant avenue for immigrants seeking release from detentions that increasingly end only with a deportation order.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
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Under Texas law, a contract signed under duress is generally voidable if it was obtained through an improper or unlawful threat that overrode the signer’s free will.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His diagnosis is that the market is constitutionally incapable of looking further than the present moment.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
What makes someone incapable of sustaining that quality?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inapt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inapt. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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