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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unable
Upon reaching orbit, Katalyst’s Link satellite will spend several weeks approaching the Swift observatory, which is unable to counter atmospheric drag and is likely to reenter the atmosphere and burn up later this year.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
—
Nc Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 July 2026
Going-to-the-Sun Road, which connects the eastern and western halves of the park, makes the area accessible for those unwilling or unable to explore the backcountry on foot.
—
Josh Laskin,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2026
In the pic, Jamie, a desperate mother, is frustrated after doctors are unable to cure her dying daughter, Emma.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
—
Nc Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 July 2026
Going-to-the-Sun Road, which connects the eastern and western halves of the park, makes the area accessible for those unwilling or unable to explore the backcountry on foot.
—
Josh Laskin,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2026
In the pic, Jamie, a desperate mother, is frustrated after doctors are unable to cure her dying daughter, Emma.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
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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.
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She was deemed unfit to stand trial on medical grounds.
Adjective
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Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.
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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.
Adjective
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Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.
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One of the lasting side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and our catastrophically incompetent response to it is the decrease in trust in public health experts and their advice.
Adjective
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Court documents show prosecutors accused Fontes of rape a victim incapable of giving consent because of the effect of alcohol, drugs, or other substances.
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For most of his career, Huang has seemed constitutionally incapable of standing still.
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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