as in unreasonable
having no basis in reason or fact
the accusation proved to be unfounded
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Recent Examples of unfounded
There were no witnesses, no evidence left behind, just racial hysteria and unfounded claims that it was committed by a Black man.
—
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
The claims are unfounded but public.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
These fears aren't entirely unfounded, says Dominic Messiha, an employment lawyer and cofounder of Empower Law, a firm specializing in employment litigation.
—Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The Senator raised more false and unfounded accusations of communism this time in the ranks of the Army.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfounded
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
The claims are unfounded but public.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
These fears aren't entirely unfounded, says Dominic Messiha, an employment lawyer and cofounder of Empower Law, a firm specializing in employment litigation.
—Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The Senator raised more false and unfounded accusations of communism this time in the ranks of the Army.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfounded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfounded
Adjective
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Asked if the White House opposes splitting up the bills, a second White House official dismissed Democratic demands for DHS changes as unreasonable rather than addressing that question.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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At the same time, protections against unreasonable searches and seizures must be honored; law enforcement should not bypass judicial oversight when entering private homes or conducting operations.—
Eric Balliet,
Denver Post,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Bondi was an early backer of those baseless claims, as were other Justice Department appointees.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Iran has dismissed as baseless allegations that its intelligence officers sought to kidnap or kill her.—
Kanishka Singh,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Similarly, the course of action that will bring recovery—reviving domestic manufacturing, revitalizing small towns, ensuring fairness for farmers and working people—is not an impossibility that will poison our minds with groundless optimism.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Those fears weren’t groundless: Research shows that people aren’t especially good at identifying deepfakes.—
Francesco Agnellini,
The Conversation,
24 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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His specific claims are so far unsubstantiated — state investigators found daycares featured in the film operating as expected.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
16 Jan. 2026
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The Kremlin looked to be doubling down on efforts to prolong the Ukraine war, making unsubstantiated claims that Kyiv had sought to attack one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residences, while Moscow’s forces launched a large-scale drone attack in southern Ukraine.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfounded. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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