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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreliable
Furthermore, family conversations and dealings with relatives are hazy and unreliable.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 15 May 2025
The study showed that a spit test can identify prostate cancer more accurately than prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, which have come under scrutiny for their tendency to produce unreliable results.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2025
The United States Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs recently issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the island due to crime and unreliable electrical power.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2025
According to a statement from the City of Gardner, deteriorating water infrastructure became increasingly unreliable in the apartments, and pipe ruptures became more frequent, which forced the city to ultimately take action to shut down the property.
—Taylor O’Connor, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 15 May 2025
The study showed that a spit test can identify prostate cancer more accurately than prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, which have come under scrutiny for their tendency to produce unreliable results.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2025
The United States Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs recently issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the island due to crime and unreliable electrical power.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2025
According to a statement from the City of Gardner, deteriorating water infrastructure became increasingly unreliable in the apartments, and pipe ruptures became more frequent, which forced the city to ultimately take action to shut down the property.
—Taylor O’Connor, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
-
Similarly, erratic rainfall patterns in India are threatening crop consistency and farmer livelihoods.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
Minnesota is tough as hell, but the defensive pressure the Thunder bring on every possession will be too much for a Timberwolves offense that can be erratic at times.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
And the one thing the Oilers know is that Skinner has the ability to bounce back from shaky performances.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
-
Celebrating success can reinforce morale, build confidence and remind people of what’s working, even when external circumstances feel shaky.—
Irma Becerra,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
This is at odds with the concept of getting the most out of every customer deal by wielding inconsistent discounts and surcharges when certain situations arise.—
Chris Mele,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Frustrated by long 311 hold times or inconsistent trash pickup?—
Melanie La Rocca,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
But while the stock market is often a fickle friend, as are commodities such as oil and natural gas, wheat and corn, part of what was so shocking in 2022 was the simultaneous slump in government and corporate bonds, which proved as undependable as stocks.—
,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
But when leaders are seen as untrustworthy that number drops to one in twelve.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
Star Toomey got a bad rap on Survivor 48, being pegged by other players as someone who was untrustworthy in the game.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
Smaller airlines are reportedly being hurt worst by unpredictable travel times.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
-
Trump’s aggressive and unpredictable policies — including massive import taxes — have clouded the outlook for the economy as well as the job market and raised fears that the American economy is headed toward recession.—
Matt Ott,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Other big miners, including archrivals BHP, Anglo American and Glencore, have steered clear of lithium, am important metal in batteries, but one which is also abundantly available puts suffers from extremely volatile pricing.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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The couple had a volatile relationship that often turned violent, according to authorities.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately, modeling variations on this orbit through time indicated that 98 percent of them were unstable within 50 million years.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
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Stage 1: In this stage, inflammation, as well as loose or unstable joints, is present.—
Isabel Casimiro,
Verywell Health,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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