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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
One of the biggest challenges fashion brands face today is unreliable supply chains and inventory management to accurately meet customer demand and expectations.
—
Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
Yet students still encounter empty dispensers and unreliable access to products in school bathrooms, raising concerns that the DOE still lacks a reliable implementation and distribution process to ensure students can consistently access products.
—Gale Brewer, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
Unlike renewable energy sources, whose output is unreliable and requires large-scale storage, nuclear power can be generated on demand.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
That number, though possibly unreliable, suggests the strength of this solidarity.
—Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
Yet students still encounter empty dispensers and unreliable access to products in school bathrooms, raising concerns that the DOE still lacks a reliable implementation and distribution process to ensure students can consistently access products.
—Gale Brewer, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
Unlike renewable energy sources, whose output is unreliable and requires large-scale storage, nuclear power can be generated on demand.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
That number, though possibly unreliable, suggests the strength of this solidarity.
—Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
-
While the Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 89% of Democrats believe Trump has become erratic with age, only 30% of Republicans say the same.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
United fans may remember Fred’s propensity to panic with the ball under pressure, as well as his erratic passing.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
The forward scored nine points on 4-for-4 shooting in the third quarter, kept the Knicks organized when their ballhandling got shaky and helped rebuild the lead to nine entering the fourth.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
-
While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the shaky ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Studies examining how alcohol affects people’s eating habits have produced inconsistent results, University of Sydney researchers reported in Obesity Reviews.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
As Manaea walked off the mound Tuesday night, Mendoza clapped his hands from the bottom step of the Mets’ dugout in Seattle with exuberance inconsistent with the Mets’ early June standing.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
There is evidence that this tendency, known as the endowment effect, was favored by natural selection when bargains were risky in a pre-modern world, a time when giving over one item, in trade for another, might risk getting nothing at all from an untrustworthy trading partner.—
Owen D. Jones,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
-
The plaintiff’s counsel repeatedly questioned Altman’s character, accusing him of being untrustworthy, and of routinely lying.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The number of parts made the behavior of each one unpredictable, although the whole was governed by rules.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
According to VinDynamics, the deployment demonstrated the platform’s ability to function reliably in unpredictable service environments while maintaining continuous interaction with people.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Mario Tama | Getty Images Global stock markets remain volatile amid uncertainty in the Middle East and a focus on artificial intelligence stocks.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
7 June 2026
-
But beyond this picturesque scene, there is a volatile combination of brutal rebel violence and a burgeoning Ebola outbreak.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Because the chemicals and the tank were deemed unstable, responders couldn't immediately access all the areas of the facility to search for additional victims, officials said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
So we are used to operating in a very unstable context.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
