UNAPPROVED Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

unapproved

adjective

Definition of unapproved

as in unauthorized

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unapproved Several employee open cup containers with unapproved screw-top lids were on the shelf, prep table and food prep storage. — Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Her filing claimed that Peters also gave her an unapproved drug that may have included some kind of methamphetamine. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026 In a letter in September, Zambia’s ZCCM-IH accused the Emirati company of failing to provide equity funding and taking on unapproved debt. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Federal law prohibits the commercial sale of unapproved drugs, but that hasn't stopped vendors from selling imitation versions of the experimental drug online at a scale with no modern precedent. — Daniel Gilbert, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unapproved

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unapproved

Adjective

Elsewhere, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said a tanker caught fire early Wednesday after striking a naval mine while traveling along an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
Explain what happened and ask about protecting your account or disputing unauthorized charges.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of unauthorized

Adjective

Part of the reform focused on eliminating misdemeanor criminal penalties, arrests and jail time for unlicensed mobile food vendors and replacing them with civil violations and fines.

— Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
New York state sued Kalshi and Polymarket this year, claiming that the companies each ran unlicensed sports gambling businesses.

— Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unlicensed

Adjective

After a global famine, survivors form a ruthless regime to colonize Indigenous land for agriculture and punish unsanctioned procreation with death.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026
As a school board president, Shaw led efforts to ban unsanctioned flags on campuses and in classrooms.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of unsanctioned

Adjective

But Rankin does mention a thuggish figure named Kodama Yoshio, who worked for Japanese spy agencies in China while trading in narcotics and smuggled goods.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The smuggled animals, which were imported from both Hong Kong and Mexico without permits, included Mexican beaded lizards, Mexican box turtles and Yucatan box turtles and baby crocodiles, prosecutors said.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 31 May 2026

Definition of smuggled

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unapproachable

unapproved

unapt

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“Unapproved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unapproved. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of unapproved

adjective

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