Examples of unable in a Sentence
I was unable to afford the trip.
He was unable to play tennis after the injury.
Recent Examples on the Web
After learning that her friend Shannon’s mother has died in a car accident, Elle is suddenly facing her first real encounter with grief and, unable to sit with it, throws herself into planning the memorial, down to selecting the music.
—
Angelina Mazza,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
Firefighters made several attempts to reach them but were unable to rescue them, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
Suffering a reversal of fortune, Watson Taylor turned out to be unable to pay for the commission and sold the work in 1821 through Phillips auction house.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 July 2026
At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance.
—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
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Angelina Mazza,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
Firefighters made several attempts to reach them but were unable to rescue them, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
Suffering a reversal of fortune, Watson Taylor turned out to be unable to pay for the commission and sold the work in 1821 through Phillips auction house.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 July 2026
At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance.
—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unable. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unable
adjective
un·able
ˌən-ˈā-bəl 
ˈən-
: not able : incapable
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