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
For those who are unable to take HT, finding relief may look like cobbling together other medication, such as the nonhormonal drug elinzanetant (Lynkuet) recently approved to manage hot flashes, with various lifestyle adjustments.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 Mar. 2026
After left-handed relievers Haiden Leffew and Ethan Walker were unable to close the door on Auburn in Friday's ninth inning, Texas (18-3, 2-2) has now lost two games in a row.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Mount Pleasant had several players unable to play due to visa issues entering the United States.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026
Attorney Danielle Molliver told ABC News on Thursday the family was unable to present any evidence in the case before the government filed a motion to terminate the case which a judge granted.
—Laura Romero, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 Mar. 2026
After left-handed relievers Haiden Leffew and Ethan Walker were unable to close the door on Auburn in Friday's ninth inning, Texas (18-3, 2-2) has now lost two games in a row.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Mount Pleasant had several players unable to play due to visa issues entering the United States.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026
Attorney Danielle Molliver told ABC News on Thursday the family was unable to present any evidence in the case before the government filed a motion to terminate the case which a judge granted.
—Laura Romero, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
-
The National Construction Authority found that 58% of the buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
If venue personnel deem any person to be a threat, or otherwise unfit, in their sole discretion, he or she will not be permitted access and shall forfeit the prize.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The sequel strips Grace of what made her special and merely pays lip service to the first one’s worldview, representing the antagonists as generically incompetent hedonists.—
Michael Ordoña,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The war in Iran is the result of incompetent diplomacy.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite overwhelming superiority, Washington was incapable of building a stable, legitimate South Vietnamese government or recognizing the grit and resilience of the North Vietnamese forces.—
Monica Duffy Toft,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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To make matters worse, her best friend, Sugar, becomes a wildly successful comedy writer who seems incapable—according to Barbara—of seeing the fundamental differences between their lives.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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