as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsatisfactory
That was unsatisfactory to Trump, who has wanted to oust Powell for years.
—
David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Meta's attempt to resolve the bloc’s antitrust investigation of WhatsApp by charging third-party AI companies for access is unsatisfactory, the European Commission said Wednesday.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Ultimately, the merger with Compaq did not live up to expectations, and after years of unsatisfactory earnings reports the HP board of directors demanded chair and CEO Carly Fiorina step down, a move that jumpstarted shares in HP stock.
—Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
In their eyes, the global economy is to blame for their unsatisfactory job prospects, feminism is to blame for their failures with women, minority rights are forcing them to relinquish their privilege as straight men, and so on.
—Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Meta's attempt to resolve the bloc’s antitrust investigation of WhatsApp by charging third-party AI companies for access is unsatisfactory, the European Commission said Wednesday.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Ultimately, the merger with Compaq did not live up to expectations, and after years of unsatisfactory earnings reports the HP board of directors demanded chair and CEO Carly Fiorina step down, a move that jumpstarted shares in HP stock.
—Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
In their eyes, the global economy is to blame for their unsatisfactory job prospects, feminism is to blame for their failures with women, minority rights are forcing them to relinquish their privilege as straight men, and so on.
—Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
-
The third strand of anti-vaccine advocacy, that compelling vaccine use is unacceptable, is a philosophical claim, not one of fact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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There is, of course, Itaewon, which is historically more associated with foreigners and other outsiders, where all who are deemed unacceptable are accepted.—
Anton Hur,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The second didn’t go nearly as well for Bussi as Karlsson and Howden scored on two of the Golden Knights’ six shots in the period to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third, the tying goal coming off a Seth Jarvis turnover and a couple of poor defensive plays by Sean Walker and K’Andre Miller.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Heat radiates from the pages of this extraordinary novel about a poor family in rural Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wirskye then asked who was wrong that day.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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Lauren McCormick, a spokeswoman for travel insurance provider Squaremouth, says your phone is the most efficient tool for protecting your travel investment if things go wrong.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Browns are clearly in rebuild mode, with 2026 expected to be a lame-duck season at quarterback with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders vying for the starting job for a season before the team uses the 2027 draft to select its latest quarterback of the future.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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Initially blocked by recalcitrant Democratic members of the House, the legislation was reintroduced during a lame-duck session following the 2024 election.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Especially defensively, where the Sparks had seemingly been getting worse.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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The festival begins next week for the World Cup, but part of Poplar Drive is already closed, and some neighbors say the closure is making traffic in the area even worse.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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According to clinical literature, the human body lacks the functional gene (GULO) to synthesize ascorbic acid endogenously, meaning our vitamin C pool can be fully depleted within as little as one to three months on a deficient diet.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Many residents spoke during public comment to complain about the county’s traffic and deficient infrastructure, issues that Abruzzo said only will worsen without property taxes.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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