UNRELIABLE Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

unreliable

adjective

Definition of unreliable

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.

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Example 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 His conviction rested on circumstantial evidence and testimony from witnesses Myers’ lawyers said were unreliable, including one witness who later recanted his testimony. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 State governments have banded together to develop their own vaccine guidance, rejecting the recommendations of an increasingly unreliable federal government. — Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 Tee Sellars , accused in the killing, argued that the methodology of the chemical analysis the state police forensic laboratory used was dated and unreliable. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026 Summary This Week 1 DFS preview emphasizes defense's crucial role, particularly with early-season stats being unreliable. — Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreliable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreliable

Adjective

Still, the closing play couldn’t erase an erratic and largely unproductive day for the Commanders’ offense.

— Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The symptoms found in those with CTE include memory loss, mood swings, erratic behavioral actions and more.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of erratic

Adjective

But if instead its excess savings finance unproductive investment at home or drive high household consumption, asset bubbles, or persistent fiscal deficits in the economies of its trading partners, the whole system becomes increasingly shaky.

— MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Cowing is clearly the team’s best option at punt returner, while Watkins has been shaky there during practice.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaky

Adjective

The lawsuit says the decision was unlawful, unsupported by facts and inconsistent with the military’s past praise of Claude.

— Reuters, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
As a brief respite, the silly friend in your group chat, who keeps violently inconsistent hours, has shared something that will probably not break your heart, which seems as worthy an offering as any.

— Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of inconsistent

Adjective

And then there’s Kimberly’s home life, which features an emotionally and physically fragile mom preparing to give birth and an undependable alcoholic father.

— Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
Yasmin, who was ousted from Pierpoint after a tabloid scandal involving her publishing-magnate father threatened to sully the bank by association, has turned to another undependable man for salvation, proposing to an aristocratic failson called Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington).

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

Definition of undependable

Adjective

The advanced flow is intentionally more difficult to use on the first try and is designed to discourage users from downloading apps from untrustworthy sources.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
Lawyers representing Elon Musk, who sued OpenAI, Altman and Brockman in 2024 over a dispute about the company's corporate structure, used Altman's firing as a way to cast doubt on his character, accusing him of being untrustworthy.

— Ashley Capoot,Kate Rooney, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of untrustworthy

Adjective

Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan and VISTEC in Thailand say the approach could help robots move more effectively through unpredictable terrain.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Prolific and versatile, Richard Linklater has been one of the most joyously unpredictable filmmakers for more than 35 years.

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of unpredictable

Adjective

One wild card for inflation has been oil prices, which have been volatile due to uncertainty about the war in Iran.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Citadel’s stock transactions are giving investors a glimpse of how Griffin is navigating an increasingly volatile market.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of volatile

Adjective

Risk assessments should examine where a river bends, where slopes are unstable and where a single failure could cut off several communities.

— Victoria Milko, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Significant political risk remains due to Venezuela's unstable government and historical tendency to renege on oil agreements.

— Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of unstable

Browse Nearby Words

unreliability

unreliable

unreluctant

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“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreliable. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unreliable

adjective

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