1
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
an inapt but well-meaning attempt to inject some humor into the proceedings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a recruit who was utterly inapt for most soldierly duties, so he spent most of his time playing in the army band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inapt
As Pettis explains, the problem is one of inapt comparisons.
—
Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
The visual flair peaks in the first episode, along with the series’ shallow, if not necessarily inapt, insight into life in this particular time and place.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
The comparison is pungent but inapt: Archival work is not death work.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 14 May 2024
Some assert that a grip can hardly be considered an inapt jail without also being a biplane.
—Jay Pilgreen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
If not then your analogy is inapt.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023
As a rebuke to warmongers, a monument from one Hohenzollern despot to another seems inapt and more like a hint to keep those hobnail jackboots handy.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Apr. 2023
The comparison isn’t entirely inapt.
—New York Times, 19 Jan. 2021
Moreover, the analogy to securities regulation is inapt.
—M. Todd Henderson, WSJ, 16 May 2022
Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
The visual flair peaks in the first episode, along with the series’ shallow, if not necessarily inapt, insight into life in this particular time and place.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
The comparison is pungent but inapt: Archival work is not death work.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 14 May 2024
Some assert that a grip can hardly be considered an inapt jail without also being a biplane.
—Jay Pilgreen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
If not then your analogy is inapt.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023
As a rebuke to warmongers, a monument from one Hohenzollern despot to another seems inapt and more like a hint to keep those hobnail jackboots handy.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Apr. 2023
The comparison isn’t entirely inapt.
—New York Times, 19 Jan. 2021
Moreover, the analogy to securities regulation is inapt.
—M. Todd Henderson, WSJ, 16 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inapt
Adjective
-
In stark contrast, Lauren Sanchez's choice of a white suit with a visible lace corset was inappropriate for the occasion, earning a notably low score in dress and presence.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Bad reviews, inappropriate comments and shabby online engagements have the opposite effect and can potentially leave a permanent mark against the company name.—
Dmitry Malin,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There are another 10 or so, such as Lil Joe, who are unfit for release after difficult histories.—
Kevin Spear,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Lee Monroe Straight-leg Jeans $43 $28 at Amazon Denim is notoriously unfit for traveling in, but reviewers say these Lee jeans are an exception.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The following year, regulators ruled that the company is unsuitable to operate its casinos in Sydney and Queensland, placing them under government supervision.—
Yessar Rosendar,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
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That's because Blue Origin aims to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and sea states in the Atlantic Ocean have been unsuitable for an initial attempt to catch the first stage booster on a drone ship.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And the protections shouldn't be such that someone who's incompetent is allowed to stay in a job.—
Mo Rocca,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2025
-
The agency found Cardwell was grossly incompetent, but investigators declined to pursue criminal charges.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, malfunctioning sensors, unreliable asset location or gaps in data collection can produce incorrect conclusions about asset movement, leading to questionable insights.—
Fabio Belloni,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
-
In that case, Fox made a modest admission that incorrect claims had been made, but Dominion Voting Systems was able to reveal the size of the settlement — the more telling concession.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, over 65,000 home fires are the result of improper heating equipment usage in the United States.—
Graeme Taskerud,
The Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Lawyers for Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, will set out to show that the News Group executives concealed and sought to destroy evidence of hacking and other improper practices.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
One man allegedly unloaded his pistol into Mary, only to find that the bullets were incapable of penetrating her thick hide.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
-
In the 1980s, Washington was seized by the worry that American industry was incapable of competing with Japan’s economic juggernaut.—
Jude Blanchette,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Kohn said he was relieved to finally have a doctor who could tell him what was wrong.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2025
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The outlet reports that Puente would even continue to write letters to her tenants’ family members for months following their deaths in order to cover her tracks and lead the families to believe nothing was wrong.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near inapt
Cite this Entry
“Inapt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inapt. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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