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
Persistent droughts, explosive population growth, competing urban/industrial demands, and unreliable Rio Grande flows (despite recent 1944 Water Treaty progress) are draining reservoirs and threatening our $200B food & fiber economy.
—
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
The generator is designed as an auxiliary or primary power source for satellites operating where solar energy is unreliable or insufficient.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Starlink terminals also have been used by Russia in the war with Ukraine to launch drone strikes and provide communication in areas where military radios were unreliable or easily jammed, according to The Guardian.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
For years, the country had faced a broken power system—electricity was unreliable and expensive.
—Justin Worland, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
The generator is designed as an auxiliary or primary power source for satellites operating where solar energy is unreliable or insufficient.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Starlink terminals also have been used by Russia in the war with Ukraine to launch drone strikes and provide communication in areas where military radios were unreliable or easily jammed, according to The Guardian.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
For years, the country had faced a broken power system—electricity was unreliable and expensive.
—Justin Worland, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
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His performances were erratic and the number of costly errors kept mounting.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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However, in recent years, temperature and weather patterns have been erratic, and winters have become shorter and warmer.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The relationship between the administration and MAHA was already shaky, Ryerson, the activist, said.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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With just five games left in the regular season, the Aggies' NCAA Tournament chance remains shaky, recently drawing a 10-seed in Joe Lunardi's bracketology.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But the Texans don’t have much incentive to trade Mills after Stroud’s inconsistent play during the playoffs (passing for 462 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions over two games).—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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May Improve Attention Some studies have found metabolic and cognitive benefits to walking in the morning, but research is inconsistent on whether this is unique to time of day.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yasmin, who was ousted from Pierpoint after a tabloid scandal involving her publishing-magnate father threatened to sully the bank by association, has turned to another undependable man for salvation, proposing to an aristocratic failson called Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington).—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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In the version nurses want, the alert is an invitation to look closer, not an untrustworthy digital manager.—
Hilke Schellmann,
Scientific American,
17 Feb. 2026
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Plenty of observers over the years have drawn a link between the Koopas and their king, Mario’s eternal archenemy Bowser, and the reptilian kappa creatures of Japanese mythology, untrustworthy trickster water spirits with a passing resemblance to turtles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In today's environment, where inflation pressures haven't fully disappeared and energy costs remain unpredictable, different silver miners can react very differently to the same silver price move.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Trump remains unpredictable, though, and eager to seek retribution.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images As stock markets continue to be volatile, investors looking for a stable income stream can bolster their portfolios with the addition of attractive dividend stocks.—
,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
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Core inflation, which strips out volatile categories, was also right in line with expectations.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And, as predicted, the blizzard arrived, delivering blankets of unstable powder.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The storm arrived as predicted and by Tuesday morning had dumped several feet of fresh, unstable snow.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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