How to Use unable in a Sentence

unable

adjective

• I was unable to afford the trip.
• He was unable to play tennis after the injury.
• The game came down to a goal-line stand and U of L was unable to get in the end zone from 2 yards out.
  — Alexis Cubit, The Courier-Journal, 10 Nov. 2022
• Deputies searched the area but were unable to find anyone.
  — Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2023
• Fallston had been playing well but unable to find the back of the net.
  — Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2024
• Grubb reportedly was unable to get out of the way and was struck in the head.
  — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 25 Oct. 2022
• Some might be unable or unwilling to do the work to set up this type of plan.
  — David Rae, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
• The city’s hospitals and morgues were overwhelmed, unable to cope with the influx of the dead.
  — Sarah Sirgany, CNN, 18 Sep. 2023
• Ramirez was unable to get work in the fields this fall and has not had success with temp agencies.
  — Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Dec. 2022
• When Jess was unable to find the fake idol, Q gave it to her directly.
  — Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024
• The texts have not yet been printed so the Sentinel was unable to review them.
  — Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024
• The Herald was unable to reach the men who were arrested.
  — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
• Both offenses moved the ball on their lone drives of the first quarter but were unable to get points out of it.
  — Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 19 Nov. 2022
• Consequences should be swift, as a 2-year-old is unable to grasp the concept of time.
  — Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 20 July 2023
• In 2023, when Ukraine was unable to host due to the war, the UK hosted on its behalf in Liverpool.
  — Lina Abascal, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2024
• Safe zones have been hit with airstrikes in the past and the move itself felt daunting with Julia unable to walk on her own.
  — Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 18 May 2024
• The Phoenix Fire Department was unable to provide the name of the victim as of Friday evening.
  — Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 26 July 2024
• Trump is unable to make bond of more than $450 million in his civil fraud case.
  — Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
• Levis did play at Penn State before transferring and was unable to win the job there.
  — Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Jan. 2023
• Melody uses a power wheelchair to get around and is unable to speak with her voice.
  — Jaclyn Greenberg, Parents, 21 Nov. 2024
• Mecole Hardman scrolled through his phone in the locker room, unable to keep up with all the messages shooting to the top of his screen.
  — Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
• McClatchy News was unable to reach the owner of Machista for comment.
  — Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
• At press time, Billboard was unable to reach a spokesperson for Ye.
  — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Feb. 2023
• And then there’s the fact that Khan, 71, remains in prison and was unable to stand as a lawmaker himself.
  — TIME, 9 Feb. 2024
• Without his phone and unable to get back up or even to crawl, Shortz began to worry.
  — Meg Tirrell, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
• The second free kick was straight ahead and the ball moved left to right as the goalie leaped up and was unable to deflect it as landed in the right corner of the net.
  — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024
• Police checked the area, but were unable to find any vehicles that matched.
  — cleveland, 19 Jan. 2023
• For one reason or another, the others were unable to do the job.
  — BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
• Because the case involves minors, the charges are sealed and NPR was unable to reach the defendants.
  — Odette Yousef, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
• The flour has more impurities–the protein and cellulose–which make the mixture more viscous and unable to form fibers.
  — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024

Last Updated: 10 Dec 2024