1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
be careful when putting your hands in even an inoperative garbage disposal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
looking for an expert to fix the inoperative grandfather clock
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in invalid
having no legal or binding force
the decision of the state's supreme court has rendered the law inoperative
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inoperative
The Info menu indicates the right rear sensor is inoperative.
—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
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Martian volcanoes appear to be dormant right now, but that former activity left behind the largest tunnel network in the solar system.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
25 May 2026
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For me, such encounters outside the habitual order often give rise to dormant stories.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
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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In January 2025, however, a federal district court in Kentucky ruled that the Biden administration’s regulations were invalid.—
Marie-Amelie George,
The Conversation,
28 May 2026
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Her attorneys argued the defamation complaint is invalid because Ohio’s one-year statute of limitations had expired.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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On Wednesday afternoon, the Indiana Fever superstar took advantage of an off day to catch some MLB action at Oracle Park.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
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The beauty mogul utilizes every weapon in her arsenal to ensure her off-duty looks make the highest impact possible.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Just two days later, an MRI scan showed that the keen gymnast and netball player had an inoperable and incurable DIPG.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
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Mold was found on a wedge of cheese inside an inoperable reach-in cooler.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 22,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Indeed, former manager Roy Hodgson, who took interim charge at Bristol City towards the end of the season, recommended him for the vacant manager’s job at Ashton Gate.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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The vice president position has been vacant since Simeon Rosas departed in October.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
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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The pipeline feeding mid-level and senior positions runs through junior hiring; cutting it today creates a leadership void tomorrow.—
Nitin Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Covey said the team is hoping the void space at the top of the tank will absorb the overpressure from the curing process, preventing an explosion.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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