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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Recent Examples of unreliable
This would mean an internet in which every search, set of directions, dinner recommendation, event synopsis, voicemail summary, and email is a tiny bit suspect; in which digital services that essentially worked in the 2010s are just a little bit unreliable.
—
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
With a bus system known for being unreliable and inconvenient, some advocates and commuters say work will need to be done to rebuild trust with riders and to entice new ones to see the bus as a viable option.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
But because of its Schedule I status, VA doctors are forbidden from recommending or even discussing cannabis, leaving patients to navigate a legal and medical gray zone on their own, often turning to unreliable sources for information, access and even unsafe products.
—Laura Hartman, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2025
Airline in-seat power can be unreliable, so consider a portable charger for your phone.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
With a bus system known for being unreliable and inconvenient, some advocates and commuters say work will need to be done to rebuild trust with riders and to entice new ones to see the bus as a viable option.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
But because of its Schedule I status, VA doctors are forbidden from recommending or even discussing cannabis, leaving patients to navigate a legal and medical gray zone on their own, often turning to unreliable sources for information, access and even unsafe products.
—Laura Hartman, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2025
Airline in-seat power can be unreliable, so consider a portable charger for your phone.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
-
Trump’s erratic approach to trade is converging with other economic and technological policies to undermine the United States’ preeminent role.—
REBECCA LISSNER,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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The fact that the story works at all despite its bizarre tonal shifts and erratic pacing is a testament to how strong the game’s themes and characterization truly are.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
International events have given Emmanuel Macron a new platform away from domestic troubles, but Francois Bayrou has in effect imperiled his government on pension reform and the government is again on shaky foundations.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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But to remove federal protection would mean grizzly bears would face increasing threats to their survival at a time when some biologists argue the species’ recovery is shaky at best.—
Christine Peterson,
Vox,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
This can result in inconsistent model behavior or bloated integrations.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Chiefs 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore has been productive in practices but also needs to regain trust after previous inconsistent play.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 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
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Two different state attorneys declared Lopez untrustworthy.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
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People with basolateral amygdala damage tend to send much more than others, even to untrustworthy trustees who fail to reciprocate.—
Tobias Kalenscher,
Scientific American,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Each response is a surprise, tapping into the psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement, famously demonstrated by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where unpredictable rewards significantly amplify behaviors, much like gambling addiction.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The Big Apple is full of complex, unpredictable scenarios for the Waymo Driver software to handle: Jaywalking pedestrians, trucks parked in the street, complex intersections, heavy rains, and harsh winter weather, to name a few.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Budget Pressure Is Driving Clarity The reflex in volatile markets is often to scale up teams or stack more tools.—
Jeremy Barnett,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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While the character brandishes a firearm and things eventually come to blows in physical tussles over the course of the volatile evening, Gallo's script never loses grip on the tender undercurrent of intimacy established back in Ponyboi's shower.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Caregivers, or Care Pros, are the largest workforce in the U.S., yet their jobs are often undervalued and unstable.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Residents in the wing that stayed intact managed to get out but were not allowed to return to their homes, and the rest of the building, determined to be unstable, was demolished 10 days later as a hurricane threatened South Florida.—
Linda Robertson,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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