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 Additionally, men were 12 percent more likely to stop treatment within a year than women, which the researchers say could reflect unsatisfactory weight loss, with better outcomes generally observed in women taking GLP-1RAs. Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Sep. 2025 Even then, the results are often unsatisfactory for your (once) vibrant white shirts. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025 The county faces at least 19 lawsuits claiming that conditions are unsatisfactory and that medical and mental health care are inadequate in the jails. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025 Add the mobile Maiava to the mix and USC might just have a recipe for gaining ground on last season’s unsatisfactory seven-win season. Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • Denying people the essentials necessary for their survival, to obtain compliance or a political agreement, should be unacceptable.
    Anna Halford, Time, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Controversy arose earlier this year after residents, a council member and the mayor declared a cooling station set up for homeless residents and others without adequate heating and cooling as unacceptable.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s another element of the current concern regarding due process that relates to the fate of poor Cinna.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025
  • McDaniel’s debut album Lost Ones delves into his own story of growing up in a poor community in Kentucky, and dealing with mental health struggles, both personally and within his family — as well as McDaniel’s story of being saved during a past suicide attempt years ago.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Watters said letting visitors toss vegetables through the fence could send the wrong message, normalizing the idea of being close enough to feed a bear.
    Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • New York Giants star rookie running back Cam Skattebo was the talk of the NFL world on Sunday for all the wrong reasons after going down with what appears to be a season-ending leg or ankle injury in the team's Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
    Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • FarmVille wasn’t bad, but something was missing.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The asteroid impact triggered one of the planet's worst mass-extinction events, wiping out all dinosaurs but birds.
    DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In the meantime, Jones has been carrying a run-deficient offense to the tune of 313 yards per game — the most in the NFL.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
  • At least 1,235 miles of the city’s sidewalks, or about 40%, are considered deficient.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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