as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a celebrated author of serious plays, he turned out to be a particularly unable writer of comedies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unable
In an interview late last year with infectious disease news site Contagion Live, Pfizer’s head of discovery and early development Charlotte Allerton was hopeful this new antiviral iteration could help a significant cohort of vulnerable patients who were previously unable to take Paxlovid.
—
Rich Haridy, New Atlas, 18 Mar. 2025
One entire episode is a conversation between Jamie and a child psychologist who is tasked with answering what detectives and his parents have been unable to – why?
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
Without enough protein, your body may be unable to produce hormones essential for growth, energy, and reproduction.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2025
As Liv Morgan and Naomi prepared to start the match, Cargill stormed in, targeting Naomi with a vicious kick against the chamber wall, leaving her unable to compete.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unable
Rich Haridy, New Atlas, 18 Mar. 2025
One entire episode is a conversation between Jamie and a child psychologist who is tasked with answering what detectives and his parents have been unable to – why?
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
Without enough protein, your body may be unable to produce hormones essential for growth, energy, and reproduction.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2025
As Liv Morgan and Naomi prepared to start the match, Cargill stormed in, targeting Naomi with a vicious kick against the chamber wall, leaving her unable to compete.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
-
These individuals—who meet all military requirements, are deployed worldwide, and serve with distinction—are now labeled unfit based on a characteristic that has nothing to do with their abilities or performance.—
Carlos Del Toro,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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When the Gulf War broke out in 1990, many staffers resisted covering it at all, deeming it a jingoistic exercise unfit for media participation.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Long Bright River, whose eight-episode season will stream in full on March 13, is neither a transcendent nor an incompetent example of this type of show.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
12 Mar. 2025
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Of course, people love making memes that portray their political adversaries as hapless and incompetent.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In those moments, the human element that leaders bring to the table—sometimes referred to as their gut instinct—provides guidance that data is incapable of delivering.—
Anar Mammadov,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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The type of flexible thinking that Maresca and his dogma is totally incapable of.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
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