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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Recent Examples of unable
The liner has been unable to call ports inside the Gulf, but still calls at major Middle Eastern ports outside the area including Salalah in Oman and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
—
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Mar. 2026
Harris is just one of many taking big steps to bring in income while being unable to find work, like donating plasma, visiting foodbanks, and using forms of rental assistance.
—Monique John, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
If Artemis 2 is unable to launch in February, NASA can try again in March and April.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
If those revenues are disrupted, the government may be unable to function.
—Ezgi Canpolat, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Mar. 2026
Harris is just one of many taking big steps to bring in income while being unable to find work, like donating plasma, visiting foodbanks, and using forms of rental assistance.
—Monique John, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
If Artemis 2 is unable to launch in February, NASA can try again in March and April.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
If those revenues are disrupted, the government may be unable to function.
—Ezgi Canpolat, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
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One of the panelists was Peter Beinart, the writer whose book had been deemed unfit for study at Beth El.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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There’s a longstanding debate about the relative health effects of being overweight versus being aerobically unfit.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
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The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.—
Daniel Akst,
WSJ,
2 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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To this day, no court has found Newman is incompetent.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2026
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Court documents show Lloyd has been found incompetent to stand trial multiple times in Hennepin County for charges of stalking.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Both view the Lebanese government as still completely incapable of disarming Hezbollah, though both were shocked at the new assertiveness of Beirut as seen by Tuesday’s banishment of Iran’s ambassador.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
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Unfortunately, her plot confines these characters to another narrow set of roles, and most of them are portrayed as incapable of leaving their cage.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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