unsustainable
adjective
un·sus·tain·able
ˌən-sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl 
: not capable of being prolonged or continued : not sustainable
unsustainable agricultural practices
unsustainable growth
Examples of unsustainable in a Sentence
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Despite some chatter about breaks for seniors and low-income Chicagoans, aldermen and the mayor ultimately decided a hike would be unsustainable for residents already facing this year’s record increase to property tax bills and rising everyday costs.
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Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
And as often happens with private equity acquisitions of retailers, the companies were larded with unsustainable debt, which made investing in the core business more difficult and led to penny-pinching measures that have been destructive to the businesses.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
The path forward feels forced and unsustainable.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s talk of privatizing the college, in part because the spending is unsustainable.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
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Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
And as often happens with private equity acquisitions of retailers, the companies were larded with unsustainable debt, which made investing in the core business more difficult and led to penny-pinching measures that have been destructive to the businesses.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
The path forward feels forced and unsustainable.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s talk of privatizing the college, in part because the spending is unsustainable.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsustainable
Cite this Entry
“Unsustainable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsustainable. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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