as in erratic
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
I wouldn't count on him to show up for the play—he's pretty unreliable. She drives her car locally, but worries it's too unreliable for longer trips.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreliable
However, Pennington’s claims are widely regarded as unreliable.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
In winter, the park is closed, and given Glacier’s remote location, cell service is often unreliable.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Kent echoed these sentiments during an interview on the Tucker Carlson Show, claiming that the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury was based on unreliable information.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
In his closing argument, Andrew Cherkasky portrayed Saxon as an unreliable witness who fabricated claims about injuries and unpaid wages after being let go from the project.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
In winter, the park is closed, and given Glacier’s remote location, cell service is often unreliable.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Kent echoed these sentiments during an interview on the Tucker Carlson Show, claiming that the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury was based on unreliable information.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
In his closing argument, Andrew Cherkasky portrayed Saxon as an unreliable witness who fabricated claims about injuries and unpaid wages after being let go from the project.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
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Slate had a history of squatting in the building, threatening residents, and acting in an erratic fashion, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's office.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
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Stroud’s development has stalled in Houston, where the Texans’ offensive line has long been a problem but can’t explain his erratic decision-making and dumbfounding turnovers.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Catcher Agustin Ramirez, who is working to improve defensively after a shaky rookie season, threw out one of two runners attempting to steal a base and went 2 for 3 challenging pitches behind the plate.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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This was the foundation on which my shaky sense of security was built—that my birth had changed everything.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For the first half on Friday night, Angel City Football Club was turning in one of those inconsistent performances that Coach Alex Straus expected would happen this season with a young team.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
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As is often the case for 23-year-olds pushed into large roles, Podziemski has been inconsistent.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And then there’s Kimberly’s home life, which features an emotionally and physically fragile mom preparing to give birth and an undependable alcoholic father.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
25 Feb. 2026
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Yasmin, who was ousted from Pierpoint after a tabloid scandal involving her publishing-magnate father threatened to sully the bank by association, has turned to another undependable man for salvation, proposing to an aristocratic failson called Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington).—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Health officials, starting with Anthony Fauci, had been untrustworthy, self-interested, and aching for power.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
-
There’s something untrustworthy about Walter.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Airport conditions have become increasingly unpredictable with swelling crowds seen in major hubs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
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But tungsten prices are particularly volatile during wartime – it’s used in armor-piercing artillery.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Weak—or even nonexistent—overnight freezes have left the snowpack soft and unstable early in the day, limiting the window for safe travel.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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But sometime between 100 million and 200 million years ago, the moon's orbit became unstable, and a series of gravitational interactions sent Chrysalis on a fatal, grazing encounter with Saturn.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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