as in illegible
incapable of being read or deciphered the old book contains an inscription, but the handwriting is cramped and unreadable

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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 unreadable There are other snafus: The calligraphy on the place-setting cards is unreadable, and someone described as an energy medium has tried to muck around with the dining room’s musty feng shui. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025 The poster later shared a second image, revealing the drive's contents: a collection of unreadable files, lines of code and an unopened Excel spreadsheet. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025 Then there are the various black and white squares which are actually data modules encoding the information in binary format and error correction codes that enable successful scanning even if a quarter of the code block is unreadable. Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 Listen to this article Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump was retained by the family of Gerald Neal, the bystander killed Feb. 12 during a controversial high-speed chase by Orlando police prompted by an unreadable license plate. Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unreadable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreadable
illegible
Adjective
  • Some of the headstones have legible names, others are illegible or are just horizontal blocks indicating a grave.
    Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2025
  • In his debut novel, Ocean Vuong took pains to be illegible.
    Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unreadable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreadable. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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