as in erratic
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
I wouldn't count on him to show up for the play—he's pretty unreliable. She drives her car locally, but worries it's too unreliable for longer trips.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreliable
Despite the novel’s use of the unreliable female narrator trope, Stone wanted to avoid that altogether.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
The rest of the reservation is connected to the grid, but the power is unreliable and outages can sometimes last days.
—Nate Perez, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
This variability makes tungsten diselenide unreliable for quantum applications.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
Much of the country relies on petrol generators because the grid is patchy and unreliable, but unsubsidized fuel is too expensive for most.
—semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
The rest of the reservation is connected to the grid, but the power is unreliable and outages can sometimes last days.
—Nate Perez, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
This variability makes tungsten diselenide unreliable for quantum applications.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
Much of the country relies on petrol generators because the grid is patchy and unreliable, but unsubsidized fuel is too expensive for most.
—semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
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His ball location has been erratic, and his decision-making still isn’t there.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Another investigation is looking into Tesla's limited Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, where passengers reported erratic driving and speeding — even with human safety drivers onboard.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Fish with jig and pigs or plastic worms on a drop=shot rig or shaky head jig.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Oct. 2025
-
With rising tuition, heavy student debt, and a shaky job market, more young workers are rethinking the four-year degree and turning to faster and cheaper routes to a steady career.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
An inconsistent day for Beau Pribula The final result was a win, and that is important for this Missouri team.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Diagnosis and care are often late, inconsistent, or inaccessible.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But while the stock market is often a fickle friend, as are commodities such as oil and natural gas, wheat and corn, part of what was so shocking in 2022 was the simultaneous slump in government and corporate bonds, which proved as undependable as stocks.—
,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2025
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Food, water and other resources would have to be shipped from home, at distances that make the supply frighteningly undependable.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
If no one told you to watch for something, treat it as untrustworthy until confirmed.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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In law, the tactic of claiming an accuser is unreliable or untrustworthy is known as impeaching the witness.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His characters were often brutally unpredictable.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
New York can be very unpredictable and has been this season.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With a roster that includes Margot Robbie, Miles Teller and Brooke Shields, Ullman says tariff anxiety shoehorned into an already volatile market and tense political climate has pushed clients to be far more conservative.—
Trey Williams,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
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Gold has seen historic gains in 2025, its more-than-50% surge surpassing previous volatile periods such as after the September 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis or even the Covid-19 pandemic.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In a process called marine ice cliff instability (MICI), cliffs taller than 90 meters at the edges of glaciers become unstable and collapse, exposing ever-thicker ice in a chain reaction that accelerates retreat.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
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However, if the pressure, density, or current is too high, the plasma can become unstable.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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