1
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
we have several inoperable cars on the property
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in useless
not capable of being put to use or account
a delightfully creative but inoperable plan for building a theme park in the area
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Recent Examples of inoperable
For instance, Bates reportedly did not turn over all of the next messages sought by Reid’s attorneys, and surveillance footage from a camera a government witness said was inoperable was disclosed by the government just before the trial began, the station reported.
—
Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
For example, Hurricane Helene, which affected much of Western North Carolina almost exactly one year ago, resulted in more than 450 mail routes being inoperable due to the storm, according to a news release from USPS.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
In the past 60 years, it is estimated that more than 650 break-ups, explosions, or collisions have taken place between inoperable satellites, spent rocket stages, and other defunct payloads.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
An oven in the kitchen by the three-compartment sink and a fryer in the dry storage room were inoperable.
—Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
For example, Hurricane Helene, which affected much of Western North Carolina almost exactly one year ago, resulted in more than 450 mail routes being inoperable due to the storm, according to a news release from USPS.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
In the past 60 years, it is estimated that more than 650 break-ups, explosions, or collisions have taken place between inoperable satellites, spent rocket stages, and other defunct payloads.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
An oven in the kitchen by the three-compartment sink and a fryer in the dry storage room were inoperable.
—Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperable
Adjective
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Elk Creek Fire An initial investigation into the fire indicates it was caused in part by a malfunctioning gas generator and also high winds.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
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Its Care Team members replicate the roles of Apple Geniuses, helping people who come in with malfunctioning devices or other troubles.—
Julio Ojeda-Zapata,
Twin Cities,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Pattinson plays the character’s increasingly useless husband.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
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My French was useless—I was also considered a tourist by association.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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So there was really no down points.—
Violet Ikonomova,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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That’s good for a move of about 8% higher in an otherwise down market.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Critics lambasted those policies as impractical at best, reckless at worst.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Countach is also famously impractical and a pain to drive, so the next buyer will likely be taking on a more-than-usual stewardship role in terms of old supercars, the service not being to themselves but to the wider community, which gets to look at the Countach rather than operate it.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
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But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At 5-nanometre or smaller nodes (current cutting-edge chips), a tiny 30-nanometre particle (about 1/3,000th the width of a hair) can ruin a circuit and make the chip unusable.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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That said, while each companion’s abilities bring something to the table, they get downed by enemies a lot, which renders their abilities unusable until they can be revived.—
Jason Fanelli,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Internal displacement, malnutrition, and disease are widespread, with nearly 95 percent of the population forced from their homes and most health facilities damaged or nonfunctional.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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There was one nonfunctional small reach-in refrigerator next to the griddle.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Soils that are high in peat moss are unsuitable for citrus trees.—
Derek Carwood,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Jan. 2026
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These tests, though frequently used in Denmark as part of child protection investigations, were criticized as inappropriate and unsuitable for the people of Greenland and other minorities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperable. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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