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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Recent Examples of powerless
Recording as resistance Minnesota officials, sensing that residents feel relatively powerless amid the ICE surge in the state, have urged residents to bear witness, suggesting that the phones in their pockets are a form of power.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
The opponents of the mullahs are, for now, powerless against them.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Even after 23 years as a buyer and seller, eBay left me powerless.
—Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
The police are powerless and the FBI is complicit.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
The opponents of the mullahs are, for now, powerless against them.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Even after 23 years as a buyer and seller, eBay left me powerless.
—Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
The police are powerless and the FBI is complicit.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
-
The Confederacy would not win foreign recognition, leaving it helpless against a Union blockade.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
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Schools, though, aren’t helpless.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Clancy allegedly strangled her three children and then tried to kill herself by jumping out a window in 2023, leaving her paralyzed from the sternum down.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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Smith, an Arizona husband and father, is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Trump has directed his ire toward the Department of Labor agency ever since former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer authorized the release of a weak jobs report last summer.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Jan. 2026
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Procedures harden, decision paths lengthen, and people wait for permission rather than acting on weak signals from the environment.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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