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
Examples 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
Instead, Starlink is usually more popular in rural areas, where traditional broadband options are limited or unreliable.
—
Michael Kan, PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
The transit agency president announced his retirement Monday in a CTA news release, after years in the hot seat as riders complained about unreliable service, conditions on trains and buses and concerns about personal safety.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
This begrudging process, however, can be unreliable due to factors like serving time, lack of parking, or noisy customers.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
Puerto Ricans, who already pay twice as much for electricity as those in the U.S. mainland, are now paying more for unreliable service provided by an antiquated and patched-up electrical grid.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unreliable 
Michael Kan, PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
The transit agency president announced his retirement Monday in a CTA news release, after years in the hot seat as riders complained about unreliable service, conditions on trains and buses and concerns about personal safety.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
This begrudging process, however, can be unreliable due to factors like serving time, lack of parking, or noisy customers.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
Puerto Ricans, who already pay twice as much for electricity as those in the U.S. mainland, are now paying more for unreliable service provided by an antiquated and patched-up electrical grid.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unreliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable
Adjective
-
Biden appeared unsteady, his responses erratic, his voice a hoarse whisper.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
-
The mountains can also make the winds more erratic because additional whirls of wind, known as wind eddies, can form as the air moves across the peaks and through the canyons.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Sanchez’s distribution remains extremely shaky, and there were more loose passes and kicks out of play under City pressure as Chelsea failed to manage their early lead.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Trace recently spoke out about the country star, whose shaky, technical-difficulty-ridden performance at the president’s inauguration festivities made headlines.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have an elite defense and a somewhat inconsistent offense.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
15 Jan. 2025
-
His performance has been inconsistent at times, and there have been problems out of his control, like mechanical issues, team mistakes or strategy not panning out.—
Luke Smith,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
And what if others trust people who are untrustworthy? Between the lines: Name the last time Democrats drove the dominant narrative on social media or even traditional media.—
Axios,
Axios,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Laws and norms govern their actions to a degree but the human element is unpredictable.—
Richard Bishop,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Their shifts are relatively short, four hours in the air followed by eight on the ground to try to recover, but the winds remain unpredictable and the flights incredibly intense.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But, looking at a slightly longer period, the increase in MMM stock over the last four-year period has been far from consistent, with annual returns being more volatile than the S&P 500.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Trump has pledged to hand management of his assets to his children, but ethics experts have criticized his crypto ventures as raising conflict of interest issues and stoking speculation in a volatile asset class.—
Tom Westbrook,
USA TODAY,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But then he got trapped when the canyon became steep and unstable, park officials said.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacramento Bee,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Park rangers at Death Valley National Park in California rescued a man who got stranded in a steep and unstable gully, the National Park Service said Sunday.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unreliable
Cite this Entry
“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share