as in doubtful
not likely to be true or to occur
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Recent Examples of unlikely
Since then, The Pitt has blown up in an unlikely way for any cultural object in the 2020s, much less a gruesome medical drama.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Policy disagreements alone are unlikely to mobilize enough of the population to beat such odds.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Spain under Franco’s regime, a group of young women defy societal norms to play football, finding an unlikely ally and laying the groundwork for the future of women’s football.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
An equity analysis must be completed, but officials said that’s unlikely to be a problem because the fare hikes don’t discriminate against any particular groups.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlikely
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Policy disagreements alone are unlikely to mobilize enough of the population to beat such odds.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Spain under Franco’s regime, a group of young women defy societal norms to play football, finding an unlikely ally and laying the groundwork for the future of women’s football.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
An equity analysis must be completed, but officials said that’s unlikely to be a problem because the fare hikes don’t discriminate against any particular groups.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlikely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlikely
Adjective
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But the war now has him doubtful prices will come down anytime soon.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
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Some analysts are doubtful that the United States can restore normal shipping through force alone.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Trusting Anthropic to hold back dangerous models seems somewhat dubious, given that Amodei expressed similar worries about Anthropic’s chatbot, Claude, only to release it after OpenAI put out ChatGPT.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
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But ousting Powell would be legally dubious, Dan Urman, director of the law and public policy minor at Northeastern University, told CBS News.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The department did not directly respond to questions the Tribune sent in February about how the city could have let obviously questionable entries slip through in the first place.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Now, the school is feeling some of the same competitive pressure its public school neighbors have been feeling – because, in Cedar Rapids' new, competitive marketplace, its product has gone from shiny and new to questionable and perhaps tainted.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The networks will have no trouble digging up clips, from Wayne Cashman and Jim Schoenfeld fighting their way through the Zamboni door at the Aud in 1972, to Brad Park’s Game 7 overtime winner in 1983, to Brad May’s OT winner to complete the Sabres’ improbable sweep of the B’s in 1993.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
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How Truman understood sports Perhaps most appealingly to anyone locally, though, is Truman’s seemingly improbable enchantment with sports.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unlikely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlikely. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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