1
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
we have several inoperable cars on the property
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Buildings have collapsed, roads are impassable, bridges are inoperable, and hospitals are filled.
—
Jenny Adams, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
The Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets Courts of First Instance have also been rendered inoperable by gang attacks.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
When the homeowner attempted to use a portable fire extinguisher, it was found to be inoperable, officials said.
—Cale Ahearn, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
There are holes in the wooden entrance ramp, and the mill’s drive shaft, which powered the structure, has been inoperable since a 2016 flood.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Jenny Adams, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
The Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets Courts of First Instance have also been rendered inoperable by gang attacks.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
When the homeowner attempted to use a portable fire extinguisher, it was found to be inoperable, officials said.
—Cale Ahearn, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
There are holes in the wooden entrance ramp, and the mill’s drive shaft, which powered the structure, has been inoperable since a 2016 flood.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperable
Adjective
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For most of us, our inbox goals are the same: minimize useless spam, file away messages that don’t require your attention right away, and bring urgent items to the forefront.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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His devastating splitter would be useless without first establishing everything else in the strike zone.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Photos taken by the Associated Press on Sunday show broken windows and a damaged door at the front of the residence.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2025
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In Okonkwo’s case, a broken wrist kept the former Arsenal ’keeper out for 11 league games.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Tapping into the endowment may be impractical for several reasons, including that some of it is legally restricted, but also because some of the unrestricted money is tied up in illiquid assets, such as in hedge funds, private equity and real estate that can’t be easily sold.—
Kara Scannell,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Blockchain might revolutionize insurance claim processing while proving impractical for emergency communications.—
Chloe Demrovsky,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At the same time, Israel has acted to render what is left of Assad’s navy inoperative.—
Bassem Eid,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2025
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Although there several election ballot scanners were inoperative at multiple polling locations in Cambria County in Pennsylvania, no widespread voting problems had been reported by the late afternoon.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The first approach provides access to data and services that would otherwise be unusable.—
Garri Galanter,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The sheer number of Starlink satellites also increases the risk of collisions in orbit, threatening not only the safety of spaceflight but potentially triggering a cascade of collisions known as the Kessler syndrome, rendering certain orbits unusable.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The United Nations reports that more than 60 percent of homes have been destroyed and 95 percent of hospitals are nonfunctional.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
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At least as of right now, the Audible app on her phone remains nonfunctional for reasons that are beyond me, but with luck—and a bit of ongoing care and maintenance for the server in the closet where this stuff all lives now—neither of us will ever have to deal with that app again.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
14 Mar. 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 23 Apr. 2025.
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