as in doubtful
not likely to be true or to occur
in the unlikely event that the file is deleted or corrupted, you will want to have backup copies available
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Recent Examples of unlikely
The virus is transmitted when a mosquito feeds on an infected person and then bites someone else.
Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said an outbreak in the U.S. is unlikely.
—
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Are there case of Legionnaires' disease in Michigan? Because Legionnaires' disease is not transmissible from person to person, the New York City cluster is unlikely to become a regional epidemic that would spread into neighboring states.
—Juan Carlos Castillo, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The documentary tells the story of Philadelphia Phillies’ superfan Jon McCann, who helped inspire an unlikely 2023 standing ovation for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, which helped turn the team around after hitting a major roadblock.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
However, the coaching carousel wasn’t an easy thing for the team to adapt to, especially knowing the interim coaches were unlikely to return the following season.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlikely
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Are there case of Legionnaires' disease in Michigan? Because Legionnaires' disease is not transmissible from person to person, the New York City cluster is unlikely to become a regional epidemic that would spread into neighboring states.
—Juan Carlos Castillo, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The documentary tells the story of Philadelphia Phillies’ superfan Jon McCann, who helped inspire an unlikely 2023 standing ovation for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, which helped turn the team around after hitting a major roadblock.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
However, the coaching carousel wasn’t an easy thing for the team to adapt to, especially knowing the interim coaches were unlikely to return the following season.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlikely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlikely
Adjective
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Even though Zuckerberg has snatched some of his AI workers, Altman is doubtful that his competitor will be able to replicate the same success of OpenAI.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
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Trump has long been doubtful of the mutual defense alliance.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Another dubious distinction is that Texas boasts an economic precariousness that the rest of those states can’t match.—
Kathryn Anne Edwards,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
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Although revenues fell short of expectations for the last quarter, earnings per share were up, due to the dubious magic of share buybacks.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As Anderson’s book suggests, an event that is improbable can still be irreversible.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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My favorite dopamine hit this week came courtesy of Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson, a couple that seems so improbable and yet so right.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The clubs engaged in an arms race that many of them could not afford and which was financed either with debt or the cash of questionable characters.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Well, not just them: also some of our most questionable corporations.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlikely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlikely. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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