as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
the Ferris wheel is nonfunctioning at the moment
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Recent Examples of nonfunctioning
Drivers say their contract issues center on pay as well as safety issues, including nonfunctioning heaters, loudspeakers and windshield wipers.
—
Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Feb. 2023
In 2020, the state of Virginia passed some bills limiting pretextual traffic stops—for example, when police spot nonfunctioning brake or tail lights or hear an overly loud exhaust system.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 30 Jan. 2023
Donald and Jaylen Brown appear to be the only announced clients of Donda Sports, which has a nonfunctioning website and an Instagram account with over 279,000 followers and no posts.
—Greg Beacham, ajc, 26 Oct. 2022
Donald and Jaylen Brown appear to be the only announced clients of Donda Sports, which has a nonfunctioning website and an Instagram account with more than 279,000 followers and no posts.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2022
Demings, whose four decades of public service include leading the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department, said intersections with nonfunctioning signals become four-way stops.
—Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Sep. 2022
On the last Saturday of September, keeping the culture looked like Carter working in conjunction with members of her community to host a dinner under the stars on a nonfunctioning farm.
—Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2021
Usually the nonfunctioning kidneys are left in place and the healthy kidney is surgically attached in a different location.
—Julie Washington, cleveland, 13 July 2021
Water has also emerged as a major problem, with almost 7 million Texans under a boil water advisory, and about 263,000 people affected by nonfunctioning water providers.
—Maria Jimenez Moya, Star Tribune, 18 Feb. 2021
Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Feb. 2023
In 2020, the state of Virginia passed some bills limiting pretextual traffic stops—for example, when police spot nonfunctioning brake or tail lights or hear an overly loud exhaust system.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 30 Jan. 2023
Donald and Jaylen Brown appear to be the only announced clients of Donda Sports, which has a nonfunctioning website and an Instagram account with over 279,000 followers and no posts.
—Greg Beacham, ajc, 26 Oct. 2022
Donald and Jaylen Brown appear to be the only announced clients of Donda Sports, which has a nonfunctioning website and an Instagram account with more than 279,000 followers and no posts.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2022
Demings, whose four decades of public service include leading the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department, said intersections with nonfunctioning signals become four-way stops.
—Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Sep. 2022
On the last Saturday of September, keeping the culture looked like Carter working in conjunction with members of her community to host a dinner under the stars on a nonfunctioning farm.
—Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2021
Usually the nonfunctioning kidneys are left in place and the healthy kidney is surgically attached in a different location.
—Julie Washington, cleveland, 13 July 2021
Water has also emerged as a major problem, with almost 7 million Texans under a boil water advisory, and about 263,000 people affected by nonfunctioning water providers.
—Maria Jimenez Moya, Star Tribune, 18 Feb. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonfunctioning
Adjective
-
Another set piece involving a malfunctioning chair lift is excruciatingly tense.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
When heading out to look for lamps, take a lightbulb along to test them in-store, but also consider rewiring nonfunctional pieces.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Lutnick was about to fly to London for a round of trade negotiations with China, whose restrictions on the sale of rare-earth metals were threatening to render parts of the American economy nonfunctional.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
In my experience, redeeming a broken industry requires regaining consumer trust by delivering empathy, transparency, and a process that works for clients, especially in a space that has historically worked against the interests of consumers.—
Brandon Aversano,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Across the eastern Baltic states (an area pertaining to modern-day Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), there are even more examples of broken tools in Stone Age burials.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Williams and the Bears began to stall completely on securing crucial third down conversions.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The violent up and down cycles were strong enough to disengage the plane’s autopilot system and cause minor damage to the plane’s interior as everything that wasn’t strapped down went flying.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For instance, in May 2025, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the missions, successfully revived a set of thrusters aboard Voyager 1 that had been considered inoperable since 2004.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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Funds are available to help income-eligible households with natural gas, propane and/or electric bills and inoperable heating systems, a county news release said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Also inoperative the morning of the crash were the runway alignment indicator lights, which had not worked for more than three years.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonfunctioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonfunctioning. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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