as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a celebrated author of serious plays, he turned out to be a particularly unable writer of comedies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unable
The people described the decision to bring in outside money less as a reaction to a potentially noisy activist than a response to the same investor concerns that drew Starboard — namely, that the company would end up overleveraged and unable to meet its interest payments while investing in growth.
—
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
During the game, UNC was unable to regain its footing, falling 17 - 16 to the Virginia Cavaliers.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Reuters was unable to reach residents of El Fasher, who rely on Starlink terminals to access the internet given a long-term telecom blackout.
—Reuters 19 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unable
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
During the game, UNC was unable to regain its footing, falling 17 - 16 to the Virginia Cavaliers.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Reuters was unable to reach residents of El Fasher, who rely on Starlink terminals to access the internet given a long-term telecom blackout.
—Reuters 19 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
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However, if temperatures fluctuate unpredictably, going below or above the average, all the low-var animals will be unfit and unable to pass on their genes.—
Shraddha Lall,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
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But rivals like former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and former California State Controller Betty Yee are already framing her as unfit for office.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
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The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.—
Daniel Akst,
WSJ,
2 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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The premise has the potential for slapstick silliness, as an incompetent Seoul family fumbles its way through opening a hunting lodge in the Korean countryside.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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Lauren was also charged with misdemeanor battery and theft in June 2020, per online court records reviewed by PEOPLE; that case was discharged after she was found incompetent to stand trial.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Gilligan is probably incapable of saccharine.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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In the final debate, Cuomo and Sliwa both attacked Mamdani for his stances on Israel and sought to portray him as incapable of addressing rising antisemitism to protect Jews, who account for about a tenth of New York City.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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