as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse

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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 unsatisfactory If the response is unsatisfactory, the district could use information in the audit to refuse the two schools renewal. Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2025 Democrats found the responses from Trump officials unsatisfactory. Nik Popli, Time, 25 Mar. 2025 The company may terminate the Management Agreement for unsatisfactory performance by the Manager, but such termination may be difficult and costly. Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025 If any of those questions are met with an unsatisfactory answer, next season could be just as difficult for Manchester City as this one has proved. The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • The first project yields too many false positives, introducing an unacceptable amount of friction into the consumer experience.
    Shazia Manus, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • But violence, vandalism or destruction of property are completely unacceptable.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.
    Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.
    Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • For affluent Latino parents Enrique and Ilana Gomez, this moment goes hilariously wrong from the start, when their daughter Yoli invites her Mexican-born intended Marcos over to the family’s Pasadena home for dinner.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
  • But even putting O’Brien on notice would be an attempt to intimidate and silence a critic, which is plainly wrong.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • Glorifying motherhood, meanwhile, in practical terms, may only make mothers’ daily lives worse.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
  • Anything under par around here in these conditions isn't a bad score.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Ars Video Whether the Take It Down Act can survive a potential constitutional challenge or not, the 48-hour timeline may be deficient for other reasons, though, victim testimony suggests.
    Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
  • The Church’s ‘Good Faith’ In court filings, Riverside denies wrongdoing and insists Holmes’ case is legally deficient.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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