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
But India, citing national security concerns, has publicly provided little evidence linking the attack to Pakistan, which denies involvement and says that Lashkar-e-Taiba is largely inoperative.
—
Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
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What should be a tender, feminist-minded story centered on a young woman rediscovering her dormant childhood dreamer turns into a middling melodrama about being with a cute guy in desperate need of her rescue.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
1 Aug. 2025
-
After remission, cancer cells may remain dormant for years before spreading— notably in the lungs or other organs—and causing a relapse.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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The Nunez contract is invalid because it was improperly solicited or procured.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 July 2025
-
Maxwell has appealed her case to the Supreme Court, saying her conviction was invalid because of an earlier deal Epstein made with federal prosecutors.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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Pete Crow-Armstrong, Justin Turner and more were in attendance, taking advantage of the Cubs having an off day after several of them put in a shift signing autographs at The National earlier in the day.—
The Athletic Collectibles Staff,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
-
The attacker, 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura, entered the office tower with an assault rifle and body armor, fatally shooting a security guard, a Blackstone executive, a Rudin Management associate, and an off-duty NYPD officer before taking his own life.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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The video, shot in New York, was directed by Amber Grace Johnson and shot on 35mm film, depicting Roan making her way through the city in cartoonishly long wigs and loathing about a broken heart on the subway.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Aug. 2025
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Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, survived but suffered multiple broken bones, a traumatic brain injury and psychological effects.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
1 Aug. 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
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None of the 408 properties — occupied or vacant — at the center of the litigation have a certificate of compliance, according to the city's lawsuit, which also alleges hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid blight violations.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
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As the area was settled, Papago Park was mostly vacant.—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, two laboratory machines were inoperable for four days in February due to a lack of reagents, which are substances used to carry out tests, because the hospital had not paid the supplier.—
Scott Schwebke,
Oc Register,
12 July 2025
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Though an initial damage analysis expressed skepticism, a consensus emerged that Iran’s enrichment and weaponization infrastructure, including centrifuges and uranium metalworking equipment, was destroyed or rendered inoperable.—
Nabih Bulos
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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The New Avengers), David Harbour’s Red Guardian saves a little girl only for the villain to disappear her into a dark void seconds later.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
25 July 2025
-
Ingold is a prime candidate to fill any leadership void.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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