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.
• 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
• The city’s hospitals and morgues were overwhelmed, unable to cope with the influx of the dead.
  — Sarah Sirgany, CNN, 18 Sep. 2023
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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 chicken was unable to stay inflated in winds over 20 mph.
  — Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
• Prisoners were unable to stand, and there was no light.
  — Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2024
• But the Musketeers have been largely unable to get stops at the other end.
  — Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2023
• Officers went to the home in the 700 block of Ann Street but were unable to make contact with either woman.
  — Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 20 July 2023
• Race fans are still able to listen to the race live on the radio, but unable to view it on TV until the replay on Sunday evening.
  — Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 18 May 2024
• And that would be unbearable for Eli, whose voice cracks and who pauses, briefly unable to speak, when asked what Mia has meant to him.
  — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2023
• Few things are more unsettling as a traveler than being stranded with a dead phone, unable to find your way back home or a way to reach out for help if needed.
  — Carina Brackett, Variety, 3 Sep. 2024
• Indeed, the researchers show examples where the o1 model, unable to access the Web, goes right ahead and dreams up a bunch of good-looking reference links when asked for sources on its answers.
  — New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2024

Last Updated: 29 Sep 2024