1
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
we have several inoperable cars on the property
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2
as in useless
not capable of being put to use or account
a delightfully creative but inoperable plan for building a theme park in the area
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inoperable
Cars were found to be frozen and inoperable, and as of Wednesday, crews were working through the ice.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
NetBlocks, a company that tracks global internet censorship, said there was no indication that any internet service provider was blocking the app, and that its unavailability was purely through TikTok making the service inoperable for U.S. users.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025
One section of the bell system cable was inoperable during the inspection about 400 feet into the shaft, state officials said in the inspection report.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2025
Serving many different customers The advantages of such a platform include superior image quality, less congested orbits, and natural debris removal as inoperable satellites are pulled down into Earth's atmosphere and burnt up.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
NetBlocks, a company that tracks global internet censorship, said there was no indication that any internet service provider was blocking the app, and that its unavailability was purely through TikTok making the service inoperable for U.S. users.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025
One section of the bell system cable was inoperable during the inspection about 400 feet into the shaft, state officials said in the inspection report.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2025
Serving many different customers The advantages of such a platform include superior image quality, less congested orbits, and natural debris removal as inoperable satellites are pulled down into Earth's atmosphere and burnt up.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperable
Adjective
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Encryption serves as a critical line of defense by rendering intercepted data useless to unauthorized parties.—
Srikanth Bellamkonda,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Because of this, even areas that are just open fields between pockets of good whitetail habitat, or a stand of mature timber that’s largely useless at this time, might provide medium- to long-range travel routes.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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She was discovered near a Dubai road with several injuries, including a broken spine and multiple broken limbs, per the outlet.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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The palace appeared to be in ruins, with soldiers stepping on broken tiles.—
Samy Magdy and Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The most innovative ideas often seem strange or impractical at first.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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European Army and the EU The nebulous idea of a European military has long floated around, but mostly dismissed as impractical and unnecessary while NATO exists in its current form.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps most notably, both sides deploy decoy vehicles—either inoperative derelicts or inflatable fakes—to draw enemy fire away from real vehicles.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
31 Oct. 2024
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In wartime, however, the calculus changes, because most of the costs are inoperative.—
William C. Wohlforth,
Foreign Affairs,
22 June 2021
Adjective
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However, 1Mbps is unusable for regular internet needs.—
Michael Kan,
PCMAG,
19 Mar. 2025
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This is compounded by his denial of intelligence and communications directly to Ukraine, but also indirectly to European allies, rendering U.S. manufacturers assets unusable.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Lawmakers last year banned the installation of nonfunctional turf, invasive plants and artificial turf on most commercial, industrial and state government property.—
Elise Schmelzer,
The Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2025
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Trump curbed the options available to foreigners planning to enter the U.S. by making the CBP One app nonfunctional on Inauguration Day.—
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton,
The Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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If the new wells prove unsuitable for city use, the city has a contingency plan designed for rehabilitation.—
Kyle Martin,
The Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
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Until now, scientists have generally thought that planets orbiting white dwarfs would be unsuitable for life because the dynamic temperature decrease of their dead parent star makes their atmospheres too unstable.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Drivers say their contract issues center on pay as well as safety issues, including nonfunctioning heaters, loudspeakers and windshield wipers.—
Zaz Hollander,
Anchorage Daily News,
4 Feb. 2023
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In 2020, the state of Virginia passed some bills limiting pretextual traffic stops—for example, when police spot nonfunctioning brake or tail lights or hear an overly loud exhaust system.—
Michael Tomasky,
The New Republic,
30 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperable. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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