as in doubtful
not likely to be true or to occur
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Recent Examples of unlikely
This may sound unlikely, but after Iran’s 12-day war with Israel last June, members of the Iranian elite openly wondered whether investing in nuclear infrastructure and regional proxies continued to make sense.
—
Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Wishing you all a weekend of sweet sobriquets, unlikely party venues, and careful character development.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
The provision will sunset after five years — but that is unlikely to affect the changes the Fontainebleau is seeking given it only applies to the application process, not the construction.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
And like in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, this war seems unlikely to turn out quite as its proponents may hope.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlikely
Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Wishing you all a weekend of sweet sobriquets, unlikely party venues, and careful character development.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
The provision will sunset after five years — but that is unlikely to affect the changes the Fontainebleau is seeking given it only applies to the application process, not the construction.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
And like in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, this war seems unlikely to turn out quite as its proponents may hope.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlikely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlikely
Adjective
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Featuring so many plugs for Chick-fil-A that one hopes the producers got a good product-placement fee or at least free catering for the film shoot, Plantman & Blondie might have been amusing enough as a brief sketch, although frankly even that’s doubtful.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Mar. 2026
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Surveying the field, Morrisson is doubtful there's a candidate who can top Biss - especially a challenger running further to the left.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But such a pledge was of dubious legal authority since past emergency declarations by governors dealt with medical reasons, such as the pandemic.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Getting there, however, is a more dubious matter.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Quinten Post was questionable with an ankle sprain, but joined the starting lineup.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Jett Howard, who was a late scratch at Miami due to an illness, was listed as questionable on the team’s initial injury report.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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All of this, to state the obvious, is incredibly improbable.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
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The two surviving sisters don’t seem like the types to want to be considered feminist heroines, but Kwapis’ lovely film is able to capture them as some of the most improbable icons in rock history as well as average New Englanders forever captured in an extraordinary circumstance.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unlikely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlikely. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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