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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Recent Examples of inoperable
But prosecutors presented evidence showing the business was inoperable and had not taken in a single dollar.
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Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 26 Nov. 2024
The inoperable driver’s-side window was my fault (rolling it down when it was iced over), as was whatever went wrong with the front right wheel (hit a curb at high velocity).
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2024
For years after the hospital closed, town residents reported eerie lights and noises emanating from the inoperable elevator.
—Roger Naylor and Scott Craven, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024
The comprehensive inspection completed last week detailed more than 23 pages of broken doors, inoperable water heaters, pest infestations and other issues across the property, according to a copy of the report obtained by The Post.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inoperable 
Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 26 Nov. 2024
The inoperable driver’s-side window was my fault (rolling it down when it was iced over), as was whatever went wrong with the front right wheel (hit a curb at high velocity).
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2024
For years after the hospital closed, town residents reported eerie lights and noises emanating from the inoperable elevator.
—Roger Naylor and Scott Craven, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024
The comprehensive inspection completed last week detailed more than 23 pages of broken doors, inoperable water heaters, pest infestations and other issues across the property, according to a copy of the report obtained by The Post.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inoperable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperable
Adjective
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Without that essential training to help surmount powerful systemic barriers, the kit would have been useless—and in that sense, the job is still woefully unfinished.Sheila McClear, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
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Esoteric knowledge of the parks, essentially useless anywhere else, is suddenly incredibly useful.Darryn King, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Minshew was terrible in 10 appearances and got benched multiple times before suffering a broken collarbone.Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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McGregor was set to fight UFC lightweight Michael Chandler in 2024 but was forced out of completion due to a broken toe.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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For instance, unused network segments can be powered down temporarily to save energy, a task that would be impractical to manage manually across thousands of network sites.Robert Backhouse, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Experts dismiss an analogous design for the U.S. as impractical—Israel's defenses are vastly different to the U.S. for several reasons, not least the size of the country and who is doing the targeting.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 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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The insurance typically covers personal belongings and a unit’s interior and provides benefits such as living expenses if a condo becomes unusable.Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
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Instead, the law would penalize internet providers and companies with App stores like Apple and Google for continuing to make updates available, The New York Times reported, so the app would degrade over time and become unusable.Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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When heading out to look for lamps, take a lightbulb along to test them in-store, but also consider rewiring nonfunctional pieces.Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025
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Space junk consists of nonfunctional satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments resulting from satellite collisions and explosions.David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This mismatch results in recruiters spending excessive time reviewing unsuitable applications, with 22% dedicating three to five hours daily to this task.Jack Kelly, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Uncovering a Forgotten History The discovery was initiated by a 1930s agricultural report referencing untended land filled with graves and trees—an area unsuitable for cultivation.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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
Thesaurus Entries Near inoperable
Cite this Entry
“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperable. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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