UNRELIABLE Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

unreliable

adjective

Definition of unreliable

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

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 unreliable There's so much clutter out there, and there's so much unreliable information. — Sophia Panych, Allure, 10 Sep. 2026 The air conditioning was shot, the elevators were unreliable, the basement and parking lot flooded, the roof leaked and the men’s restroom doubled as a storage room. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026 Some say the deal will amount to nothing if the money isn’t used to fix longstanding problems like unreliable public services. — Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 This reality just creates more unreliable confusion for the end consumer. — Nirav Tolia, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreliable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable

Adjective

During this year’s crossing, the PC13 developed erratic steering around the halfway point, which Oshen believes may have been caused by excessive friction in the rudder.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
The 24-year-old goalie often struggled with inconsistency in an erratic 2025-26 season.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of erratic

Adjective

Of these three films, The Uprising is admittedly the least heist-explicit; Paul Greengrass’s shaky cam mostly follows marching mobs lambasting the king and furious revolts against soldiers and tax collectors.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Add an inconsistent Mookie Betts and an incredibly streaky Teoscar Hernández to an already-shaky lineup.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of shaky

Adjective

The defense attorney argued that theory was inconsistent with the evidence, pointing to Apple Maps searches prosecutors highlighted during the trial.

— Lorraine Taylor , Bryan Llenas, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
If every new scenario causes delays, requires manual recalculation or produces inconsistent results, AI cannot support continuous planning at enterprise scale.

— Stephen Macfarlane, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of inconsistent

Adjective

And then there’s Kimberly’s home life, which features an emotionally and physically fragile mom preparing to give birth and an undependable alcoholic father.

— Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
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

Definition of undependable

Adjective

Personal Recommendations from your Local Lit Hub Editors The weather has become untrustworthy, for determining the seasons and otherwise.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
The advanced flow is intentionally more difficult to use on the first try and is designed to discourage users from downloading apps from untrustworthy sources.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of untrustworthy

Adjective

Later, an opposition to unpredictable Uranus reminds us to balance bold leaps with steady signals, so plans, messages, and travel stay flexible, safe, and kind.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
There were real concerns like unpredictable latency and audit trails that legal would never approve.

— Rafael Flores, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of unpredictable

Adjective

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who accompanied the national police chief in serving the warrant to Romualdez, said he was admitted to a Manila hospital Monday afternoon due to unstable blood pressure and anxiety attack.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
As Anna covers for Fyodor’s addiction and increasingly unstable professional behavior, her devotion starts to look poisonous for them both.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of unstable

Browse Nearby Words

unreliability

unreliable

unreluctant

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“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unreliable

adjective

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