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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreliable
Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and consultant based in New Orleans, said that outside of homicides and auto theft, most crime categories are notoriously unreliable and prone to underreporting.
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Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Public and elite support for nuclear armament will only grow as North Korea’s arsenal expands and the United States becomes an unreliable backer under Trump.
—Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Americans have become unreliable underwriters of the international order.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Part of the issue here is that adjustment of this wage floor tends to depend on perhaps the most unreliable process of all: legislative action.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unreliable 
Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Public and elite support for nuclear armament will only grow as North Korea’s arsenal expands and the United States becomes an unreliable backer under Trump.
—Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Americans have become unreliable underwriters of the international order.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Part of the issue here is that adjustment of this wage floor tends to depend on perhaps the most unreliable process of all: legislative action.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
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Darnold was as erratic as he’s been all season, and the defense was again dominated by the Lions’ balanced attack.Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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And if his first term is any indication, Trump’s erratic management is likely to produce a ballooning national debt and policy incoherence, not a lean and coordinated government.Charles A. Kupchan, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The 20-year-old Gauff overcame a shaky start and a total of 32 unforced errors and nine double faults to secure her 11th first-round win at a major in the last 12 Grand Slams.Manasi Pathak, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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In these shaky times, investors can enhance their portfolio returns by adding stocks backed by solid financials and long-term growth opportunities.TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In terms of individual markets, and as noted above, China continues to be inconsistent for Hollywood, but even its local titles had issues in 2024.Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025
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His performance has been inconsistent at times, and there have been problems out of his control, like mechanical issues, team mistakes or strategy not panning out.Luke Smith, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Food, water and other resources would have to be shipped from home, at distances that make the supply frighteningly undependable.Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
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With fueling so expensive and stations so undependable, Kiskis — who lives in Pacific Palisades and works at Google in Playa Vista — drives a gasoline Jeep for everything but short trips around the neighborhood.Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Thompson is still an untrustworthy shooter who is not as consistent a passer as he was originally billed to be.Law Murray, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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Neglecting basic security like two-factor authentication, reusing passwords or shopping on untrustworthy websites can leave you exposed.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Laws and norms govern their actions to a degree but the human element is unpredictable.Richard Bishop, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
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Their shifts are relatively short, four hours in the air followed by eight on the ground to try to recover, but the winds remain unpredictable and the flights incredibly intense.Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Other volatile organic compounds are also known to contaminate tap water after fires.Pien Huang, NPR, 11 Jan. 2025
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Despite his volatile nature, Sanders has been linked to NFL teams after beginning his coaching career with Jackson State back in 2020.Vincent Frank, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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To address such an unstable yet technical landscape, businesses ‘curate’ teams of experts and ask them to work together.London Business School, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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An underground glow In fungi, the key step towards bioluminescence occurs when the enzyme luciferase converts light-emitting compound called luciferin into an unstable product.Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unreliable
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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