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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreliable
The amendment is based on unreliable data that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration itself estimated to be off by 30 to 40 percent.
—
Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025
The cooling system in her second-story apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had always been unreliable.
—Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 21 May 2025
This showed that changes in the truck's speed produced turbulence in the liquid helium, making measurements of its presence unreliable.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
To counter this risk, the Kremlin has accelerated its efforts to transition to a new model of political and social control and replace the most unreliable segments of the political and business elite with loyalists personally tied to Putin.
—Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025
The cooling system in her second-story apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had always been unreliable.
—Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 21 May 2025
This showed that changes in the truck's speed produced turbulence in the liquid helium, making measurements of its presence unreliable.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
To counter this risk, the Kremlin has accelerated its efforts to transition to a new model of political and social control and replace the most unreliable segments of the political and business elite with loyalists personally tied to Putin.
—Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
-
In the wake of multiple plane crashes, and amid erratic federal policies and denials and detentions at border crossings, summer travel in the U.S. is in an uneasy state.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
-
Orlov was statistically consistent, but his defensive play was often erratic.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The economic outlook has been shaky this year for recent graduates and others searching for employment opportunities, and may be shakier still after a slowdown in job growth last month.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
6 June 2025
-
Following a shaky tenure with the Denver Broncos, Wilson found himself on the Pittsburg Steelers last season in hopes of reviving his career.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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This is at odds with the concept of getting the most out of every customer deal by wielding inconsistent discounts and surcharges when certain situations arise.—
Chris Mele,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Frustrated by long 311 hold times or inconsistent trash pickup?—
Melanie La Rocca,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
But while the stock market is often a fickle friend, as are commodities such as oil and natural gas, wheat and corn, part of what was so shocking in 2022 was the simultaneous slump in government and corporate bonds, which proved as undependable as stocks.—
,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
The humor of the books is darker and drier, partly because it comes filtered entirely through the perspective of a cyborg that views humanity as inherently untrustworthy and violence as a frustrating but useful chore.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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This makes the administration seem like a particularly untrustworthy locus for a registry to track autistic people.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As federal environmental policy undergoes rapid and often unpredictable shifts through reversals, reinterpretations and sometimes outright dismantling, businesses are left navigating a compliance landscape that feels more like quicksand than solid ground.—
John F. McQuillan,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Smaller airlines are reportedly being hurt worst by unpredictable travel times.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Rising prices, fomenting trade wars, and uncertainty about when tariffs will go into effect has led to a volatile economic climate.—
Boone Ashworth,
Wired News,
4 June 2025
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Shortly after, Mars will square Uranus on June 15, creating a volatile energy between your desire for personal freedom and autonomy, versus unpredictable events that shake up your day-to-day routines and sense of stability.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sitting places the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state that pushes the pelvis forward and puts the lower back at a painfully compressed, mechanical disadvantage, which in turn creates a posture that feels tight, stiff and unstable.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
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The mountain side of the glacier had been unstable since last week, when millions of pounds of rock debris fell onto the glacier surface, Davies said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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