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
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
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
-
After Clark stepped down on Tuesday because an internal investigation unearthed an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, the union announced on Wednesday that Meyer will take over on an interim basis entering a pivotal year for the future of the sport.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The Russia date has sparked backlash from fans, who argue that performing in Moscow during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is inappropriate.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Abbott has blasted Miller as unfit for office.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
In the latest directives, military separation boards have been ordered to find unfit and separate any transgender servicemember with a current or past documentation of gender dysphoria.—
Lauren Hodges,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a significant issue for a project intended for deep-space mission launches, microgravity research, and space manufacturing – only for it to be found unsuitable for any of those goals, largely due to the presence of the astronauts themselves.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Its old building, constructed in 1939 for the Social Security Board, needed expensive renovations; reportedly had ancient, faulty wiring; was far too big; and was generally unsuitable for modern journalism.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But, at some point this season, the Dodgers will lose a handful of games in a row, or lose six out of seven, and might look incompetent doing it.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The issue was not that Butler was incompetent in his job; quite the opposite.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Unfortunately, those ideas were proven to be incorrect more than a hundred years ago.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Republicans complained that some organizations had been listed twice in the mammoth, 693-page budget bill and others had incorrect names.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 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
-
He was cited for making an improper turn.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Such deficiencies raise the risk of improper or unauthorized spending and echo broader concerns about unexplained federal revenue entries.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bird seemed to be torn between Indiana and Indiana State, a small program that was playing in the hinterlands of Division I basketball, in danger of being banished to Division II, about to fire its head coach, and incapable of filling its new arena in Terre Haute.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
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The detention center already expanded its RISE capacity restoration program to deal with defendants who are incapable of proceeding.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inapt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inapt. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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