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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
At the same time, Israel has acted to render what is left of Assad’s navy inoperative.
—
Bassem Eid, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025
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
Perhaps most notably, both sides deploy decoy vehicles—either inoperative derelicts or inflatable fakes—to draw enemy fire away from real vehicles.
—David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Bassem Eid, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025
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
Perhaps most notably, both sides deploy decoy vehicles—either inoperative derelicts or inflatable fakes—to draw enemy fire away from real vehicles.
—David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
-
Waititi never recommitted to Akira and the project has been dormant ever since.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
-
The group is currently dormant after Argent suffered a stroke last year that forced him to retire from touring, while White and Grundy have appeared only as special guests since 1997.—
Gary Graff,
Billboard,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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State IDs should indicate eligibility to work, employers should be required to verify that and any payroll reported under invalid documents results in notification and investigation.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
-
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit — including resident Lucy Hurston — are asking a Superior Court judge to declare the May 28 referendum invalid.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
No team could use an off day than the New York Mets.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Entering play Thursday, an off day for the Yankees, the reigning American League MVP had the highest average (.361), OPS (1.180), fWAR (6.1) and wRC+ (221) in baseball.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Gustafsson was discovered lying nearby with a broken jaw, fractured cheekbones and a concussion.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
As the girls sang, waves crashed where water shouldn't flow, tumbling through broken roads and structures turned inside-out.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Trump had previously signed an executive order on his first day in office announcing that tax deals agreed upon between the Biden administration and the OECD were null.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
27 June 2025
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Even basic tasks, like knowing the password to a legacy system or understanding why a data table has null values, can be governed by undocumented decisions made years ago.—
Kevin Novak,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
With one seat vacant, there are 10 people on the Tarrant GOP Executive Committee, according to the Tarrant GOP website.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 July 2025
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That includes taking over a vacant adjacent strip center, adding thousands of square feet of retail space, more than 600 residential units and a central, green space to be called The Square.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
An inoperable mass in her brain—she’d survived six months.—
Jhumpa Lahiri,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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But if an inspector visits an inoperable charger, Wilkinson said her agency would take action, notifying the operator and requiring fixes.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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The veteran safety, who turns 27 this month, approaches the final year of his contract (which has a void year in 2026).—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
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The Philadelphia Flyers filled their center void by signing Christian Dvorak for $5.4 million for next season and also got a goalie in a thin market, signing Dan Vladar for $6.7 million over two years.—
John Wawrow,
Chicago Tribune,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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