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
The car was heavily damaged and was inoperable after the crash, according to police.
—
Laura Fay, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Tesla is also recalling more than 200,000 Model Y, Model S Model X and Model 3 electric vehicles because of a software issue that renders the rearview camera inoperable for a short period of time.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Farmers across Cuba have watched their equipment become inoperable due to lack of fuel, leading them to be forced to rely on animal and manual labor to make ends meet.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
State Fire Marshal Lauri Volkert offered the example of a building that might have inoperable windows on one side and balconies on the other.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Laura Fay, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Tesla is also recalling more than 200,000 Model Y, Model S Model X and Model 3 electric vehicles because of a software issue that renders the rearview camera inoperable for a short period of time.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Farmers across Cuba have watched their equipment become inoperable due to lack of fuel, leading them to be forced to rely on animal and manual labor to make ends meet.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
State Fire Marshal Lauri Volkert offered the example of a building that might have inoperable windows on one side and balconies on the other.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperable
Adjective
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The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the owner of a malfunctioning chemical storage tank in Garden Grove that has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as fire crews race to avoid an explosion.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
24 May 2026
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Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem -- a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And being a humanitarian, useless.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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The forty-five minutes felt useless; the pre-meeting did not.—
Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Roy said the biggest challenge may be convincing Angelenos to cast a vote at all in what has historically been a low-turnout, down-ballot contest.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
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After seven months of down time, SpaceX returned its Starship vehicle to the launch pad.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Physical storage, custody and transportation can make direct ownership impractical for many companies.—
Anthony Milewski,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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May's first-quarter moon in Virgo is here to shed light on what's impractical or no longer sustainable.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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And there’s been plenty of media focus since then — including on inoperative toilets.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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The antiskid system was inoperative, and all four main tires on the landing gear blew.—
Jeff Suess,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But atmospheric nitrogen exists as the diatomic molecule N2, which is inert and therefore unusable in biological processes.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 May 2026
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For a limited time, former Spirit loyalty members can use their unusable Spirit points for pizza at Papa Johns.—
Erin Clements,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Las Vegas passed a law in 2021 banning much of the valley’s ornamental turfgrass starting in 2027, and Phoenix wants to remove nonfunctional turfgrass from medians and business parks.—
Maggie Slepian,
Longreads,
14 May 2026
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About 2 miles north near Centre Bridge, a pump designed to divert water from the Delaware River into the canal was found knocked over and nonfunctional.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Adjective
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There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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The trend was further compounded in koalas with chlamydiosis -- a common bacterial disease among the species -- and those found in unsuitable conditions, Mella said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperable. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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