as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of powerless
But if Republicans stick together, Democrats will be largely powerless to block or modify this bill in any way.
—
Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 16 July 2025
Those who have felt powerless fight for the defenseless.
—Andrew Slack, HollywoodReporter, 12 July 2025
Facing off against a powerless Lex in his flying corporate office, Superman gives an impassioned speech owning his flawed, unflagging humanity.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 11 July 2025
For people who feel marginalized, powerless, or cut off from the elite—like much of Gen Z—bots seem less judgmental than humans and thus give their users more agency.
—Yasmin Green, Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 16 July 2025
Those who have felt powerless fight for the defenseless.
—Andrew Slack, HollywoodReporter, 12 July 2025
Facing off against a powerless Lex in his flying corporate office, Superman gives an impassioned speech owning his flawed, unflagging humanity.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 11 July 2025
For people who feel marginalized, powerless, or cut off from the elite—like much of Gen Z—bots seem less judgmental than humans and thus give their users more agency.
—Yasmin Green, Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
-
Not long after, Brady looked helpless on his final snap as a Patriot, standing at the 1-yard line with nine seconds left because of that maneuver, which Stretch stole from Brady’s head coach and turned against them both.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
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As for the Aces, Vegas has lost two in a row and looked helpless last time out, losing 109-78 to the Minnesota Lynx.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
That fortune extended to Rice himself, who could have been maimed or paralyzed or otherwise unable to walk away.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 July 2025
-
At the wedding of one of her clients, matchmaker Lucy knows just what to ask when the bride-to-be becomes paralyzed by trepidation.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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And if tariffs only cause a one-time jump in prices, weaker purchasing power could slow the economy.—
Raul Elizalde,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The airline cited weak travel demand and financial challenges.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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