as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unsatisfactory Volpe hit 20 home runs, but he was left feeling unsatisfactory about his lack of contact and made adjustments for Year 2. Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 10 July 2025 Conspiracy-mongers are now frothing at the mouth as both of the high-profile cases, while unrelated, reached unceremonious, and to many unsatisfactory, ends within just a few days of each other. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025 Because of that, in parallel to the negotiations, the bloc continues to prepare countermeasures should talks yield unsatisfactory outcomes and may need to rebalance the agreement targeting some key sectors. Arkansas Online, 28 June 2025 However, high temperatures could make outdoor celebrations unsatisfactory, with extreme heat warnings in place across Southern California, Southern Nevada and western Arizona through the weekend. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • Unwavering loyalty Schrandt told ABC News that any deportations to Afghanistan are an unacceptable outcome.
    Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Cosmetics are not the only place that regulators assessed an unacceptable level of risk.
    Keyaira Boone, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Parasite The first non-English language film to win a Best Picture Oscar, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite centers on the Kims, who live on the wrong side of the tracks in Seoul, South Korea.
    Emy LaCroix, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Joveljic stepped up and placed the penalty kick into his right-hand corner, while goalkeeper Brad Stuver dove the wrong way.
    Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Shootouts are lame in comparison.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
  • On the other hand, Powell probably has little incentive to commit firmly given high lame-duck status and the fact that more employment and inflation numbers will hit before the September meeting.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This was a classic Smith performance with tons of yardage and some risky throws with both good and bad results.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • You were called something much worse, and [it was] accepted.
    Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Although no publicly available evaluation has classified Stines as mentally deficient, a number of coworkers and friends interviewed by state police said Stines was acting strangely in the days leading up to the shooting of Mullins.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In addition to widening the road from two to four lanes from San Dieguito Road to Via de la Valle, the narrow bridge deemed functionally obsolete and structurally deficient, will be replaced with a new 354-foot-long and 76-foot-wide bridge.
    Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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