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
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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
The Info menu indicates the right rear sensor is inoperative.
—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
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
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
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
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
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
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
-
The police had let the case lie dormant.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
The fungi’s natural resistance to cold kept them dormant but still alive and capable of reviving, even after thousands of years, according to research published last week in the journal Microbiome.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the owner of a malfunctioning chemical storage tank in Garden Grove that has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as fire crews race to avoid an explosion.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
24 May 2026
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Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem -- a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Of the 40,992 permits his office has audited so far, about 4,707, or just over 11%, were canceled for invalid claims.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
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After the claims were not submitted because one of the behavioral health organizations' accreditation was invalid, the two allegedly conspired with another individual to submit claims.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The Dodgers are in the midst of a 10-day stretch without an off day, playing into the decision to sit Ohtani Thursday.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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In managing Ohtani’s pitching workload in his first full season on the mound since 2023, the Dodgers have used off days on the schedule to give Ohtani a recovery day following a pitching start by backing those starts up against off days three times in his first nine starts (including last week).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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During a visit to the site in February, the city's watchdog learned that the building had been under a fire watch by the Baltimore Fire Department since 2024, due to sprinklers and fire alarm systems being inoperable.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Epitaxial growth of SiC on wafers requires temperatures above 2732°F and precise precursor chemistry; even small process deviations can generate micropipe defects that render devices inoperable.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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The Cherry Creek Schools’ Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint parent Keith Frazier to a vacant seat on the five-member board.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
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Overstated savings, still-vacant buildings In 2013, The School District of Philadelphia projected $28 million in cost savings from its closure plan.—
Julia McWilliams,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The major indexes are coming off a down day.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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As the factor falls each year, you're required to withdraw a bigger slice of the balance, even in a down market and even when a smaller distribution would make more sense for you.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The pipeline feeding mid-level and senior positions runs through junior hiring; cutting it today creates a leadership void tomorrow.—
Nitin Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Covey said the team is hoping the void space at the top of the tank will absorb the overpressure from the curing process, preventing an explosion.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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