1
2
3
as in invalid
having no legal or binding force the decision of the state's supreme court has rendered the law inoperative

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inoperative 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 The undercover sources were with him every step of the way, picking him up from his home, traveling to Nashville, and providing him with inoperative explosives, prosecutors said. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024 On Tuesday morning, several election ballot scanners were inoperative at multiple polling locations in Pennsylvania. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 By June 73 per cent of the country’s thermal power generating units had been rendered inoperative. David Hambling, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
  • Take a cutting a few inches long with several leaves to include a node (that brown bumpy thing which is a dormant growing point where the stem meets the leaf).
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 9 May 2025
  • Shingles develops in people who have previously had chicken pox, a virus that remains dormant in the body after acute infections clear up and can be reactivated later in life.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • As a junior at Yale, Yung had become a citizen in the 1850s, but in the harsher legal climate of 1898 the State Department decided his citizenship was invalid.
    Steve Inskeep, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • When Min’s wealthy grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) pressures him to leave his artist life behind for an important role in the family’s corporation in Korea, Min scrambles to find a way to stay in the U.S., given that his student visa is about to become invalid.
    Abigail Lee, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Signs that frozen chicken has gone bad include freezer burn, an off smell or texture, and discoloration.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 May 2025
  • Winston will be an example of an off the field leader Dart can learn from, which is likely the reason for Winston earning a two-year contract compared to Wilson’s one-year deal.
    Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to his hands, Smith has an extensive injury history, including a broken fibula, a torn meniscus, a fractured wrist and a high-ankle sprain.
    Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
  • Conservatives quickly lambasted Bondi for broken promises.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • What would a negative or null result imply about the frequency of inhabited planets in the galaxy?
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Numerous state legislatures, heavily lobbied by commercial industries, have preempted or challenged Rights of Nature laws, rendering them null, void, and wholly unenforceable.
    India Nye Wenner, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Fast forward: After three years, the site remains vacant, fenced and undeveloped.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2025
  • Inside the one-story cinder block building, three state health officials sat along a table at the front of the largely vacant room.
    Margaret Coker, ProPublica, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • But the remaining chargers were inoperable 31% of the time, Hartmann said in testimony on Hettleman’s bill.
    Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2025
  • The Justice Department noted in court filings that this will eventually render the app inoperable.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Despite the Dolphins rookies’ apparent willingness to step up in 2025, the truth is the team has a leadership void with the departures of defensive tackle Calais Campbell and offensive tackle Terron Armstead.
    C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
  • The president claimed this week that pardons issued by former President Biden should be void because they were signed by autopen.
    Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inoperative

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!