as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of powerless
Unfortunately for de Moura, Lemigova had already told not just her wife, but their daughters about all of the above, rendering her attempt at shaming her with that information totally powerless.
—
James Factora, Them., 10 Oct. 2025
Of course, the US doesn't operate in that way and, more than a year out from the midterms, voters feel powerless.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Its 93-page deregulatory manifesto reads like a wish list for turning passengers into powerless customers.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Social media has theoretically given every fan a voice, but in reality supporters have never been so powerless.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
James Factora, Them., 10 Oct. 2025
Of course, the US doesn't operate in that way and, more than a year out from the midterms, voters feel powerless.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Its 93-page deregulatory manifesto reads like a wish list for turning passengers into powerless customers.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Social media has theoretically given every fan a voice, but in reality supporters have never been so powerless.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
-
These brawls further eroded democratic norms, while driving voters away from left-wing and moderate parties who seemed helpless to halt them.—
Time,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
She was resigned to her fate, helpless with indignation.—
Jack O'Connor,
Outdoor Life,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition, the left side of his face became paralyzed.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In August, Elon Musk’s Neuralink expanded to the UK with a clinical study testing its brain chip to help paralyzed patients control devices through thought.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Relief on that levy—which stacks on top of Liberation Day tariffs—could be a boon for the Asian nation at a time when domestic demand is weak.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
There, interactions between streams of liquid iron generate a magnetic field one quintillion times more powerful than that of an ordinary lab magnet (but thousands of times weaker than the Sun’s).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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