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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreliable
Dan York, a senior adviser to the Internet Society, previously told USA TODAY that popular VPNs could be blocked and using out-of-country locations would result in slower or unreliable connections.
—
Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
Apparently, accusers were still considered unreliable.
—Sheila McClear, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
One challenge of narrating Chinese American history is that little is documented and what records do exist are often unreliable.
—Jane Hu, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2025
Regardless, the ground game has been unreliable, to put it nicely.
—Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unreliable 
Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
Apparently, accusers were still considered unreliable.
—Sheila McClear, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
One challenge of narrating Chinese American history is that little is documented and what records do exist are often unreliable.
—Jane Hu, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2025
Regardless, the ground game has been unreliable, to put it nicely.
—Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
-
His moods became unpredictable, his behavior erratic.—
David Rabe,
The New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2025
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Which is easier said than done with such an erratic boat service.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Heading into the quarterly results, Wall Street’s confidence has been shaky.—
Christina Cheddar Berk,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2025
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One Reddit user claims to have received access on their iPhone 16 Pro, but so far, the experience has been shaky, with inconsistent connection to the Starlink satellites.—
Michael Kan,
PCMAG,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The police asked him about what appeared to be cuts on his right hand, and Mr. Cady gave inconsistent explanations, the authorities said.—
Simon J. Levien,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2025
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Normally, going back in time introduces all sorts of nasty paradoxes, like the infamous grandfather paradox, or, less violently, inconsistent histories.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Food, water and other resources would have to be shipped from home, at distances that make the supply frighteningly undependable.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Oct. 2024
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With fueling so expensive and stations so undependable, Kiskis — who lives in Pacific Palisades and works at Google in Playa Vista — drives a gasoline Jeep for everything but short trips around the neighborhood.—
Russ Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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If the United States seems mercurial or untrustworthy, China may come to dominate the region—not by military conquest, but as a result of calculations by those who conclude there is no practical alternative to acceding to its wishes.—
Jonathan Kirshner,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Jan. 2025
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Instead of negotiating with an untrustworthy, unpredictable and poorly governed U.S., other countries are going to start looking for ways to minimize contact with and dependence on us.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Aside from the ingenious creation of Moretti and his occasionally unpredictable behavior, the film fails at creating interesting characters, deploying suspense, and even delivering some cheap thrills.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Jan. 2025
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And is the finale as unpredictable as the footage leads us to believe?—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The film opens on one such unexplained conflict, setting the tone for the volatile, irregular behavior that ensues.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2025
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The pilot follows an offbeat Fresno diner where an ex-party girl, a volatile chef, and an oddball busboy contend with ghost pirates, volcanoes, and the minor inconvenience of dying.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Some predict that if economic and political conditions remain unstable, gold could continue to rise.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
1 Feb. 2025
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One possibility is that unstable cholesterol levels could contribute to damage in blood vessels that supply the brain.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unreliable
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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