UNRELIABLE Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

unreliable

adjective

Definition of unreliable

as in erratic

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly I wouldn't count on him to show up for the play—he's pretty unreliable. She drives her car locally, but worries it's too unreliable for longer trips.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unreliable My lab and others around the world are developing these alternatives as backup for when GPS is unavailable or unreliable. — Zak Kassas, The Conversation, 23 June 2026 With no clear evidence and an unreliable witness, a community governed by customary law must preserve peace without sacrificing another child. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 June 2026 At a time when global supply chains are highly unreliable, Australian researchers are working to de-risk supply chains for startups and industries in the future through domestic capacity building. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2026 But weak charging infrastructure, limited and unreliable electricity supply outside major cities, and high financing costs could constrain widespread adoption on the continent, even as investors race to build out infrastructure. — Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreliable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable

Adjective

After cycling through erratic gigs—bus driver, garbage collector, violin maker—his carpentry skills landed him a job on an expedition vessel in Antarctica from 2006 to 2010.

— Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026
His social media posts became increasingly erratic.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026

Definition of erratic

Adjective

Though still somewhat shaky, shipping confidence in transiting the vital strait is rising rapidly, leading forecasters to warn of an impending oil glut; Citi predicts prices could fall to as low as $60 a barrel by the end of the year.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 July 2026
The Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness programs faced a shaky timeline, characterized by persistent legal roadblocks, which culminated in a 2023 Supreme Court defeat.

— Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 2 July 2026

Definition of shaky

Adjective

And then there’s Kimberly’s home life, which features an emotionally and physically fragile mom preparing to give birth and an undependable alcoholic father.

— Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
Yasmin, who was ousted from Pierpoint after a tabloid scandal involving her publishing-magnate father threatened to sully the bank by association, has turned to another undependable man for salvation, proposing to an aristocratic failson called Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington).

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

Definition of undependable

Adjective

The local gendarmerie, led by blandly untrustworthy Inspector Marchal (Bertrand Belin) is called in to investigate.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 June 2026
There is evidence that this tendency, known as the endowment effect, was favored by natural selection when bargains were risky in a pre-modern world, a time when giving over one item, in trade for another, might risk getting nothing at all from an untrustworthy trading partner.

— Owen D. Jones, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

Definition of untrustworthy

Adjective

Related Stories Set in 1948 Malaya in the volatile years that followed the end of World War II, the film traces a Malay soldier and a British soldier who are left behind after the British military withdraws.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2026
While the rally continued into early 2026, trade soon turned volatile.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 3 July 2026

Definition of volatile

Adjective

Relying on hand tools instead of heavy machinery, firefighters tunneled through unstable debris to rescue a security guard trapped for eight days.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
In an unstable industry with IP, nepotism and maybe even now artificial intelligence ruling supreme, Ridd and Boa have doubled down on emerging filmmakers with original stories.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026

Definition of unstable

Browse Nearby Words

unreliability

unreliable

unreluctant

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“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unreliable

adjective

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