as in wrong
falling short of a standard this work is entirely unacceptable

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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 unacceptable Some in the Democrat Party and bad people found this totally unacceptable. Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025 State law requires Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to take action against school districts that have campuses with five consecutive years of unacceptable ratings. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2025 Shapiro told reporters at a news conference on April 16 that regardless of the motivation for the crime, political violence must be condemned as unacceptable in our society. Riley Beggin, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 Any format that builds in a conflict of interest is unacceptable. Robert Greene, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unacceptable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unacceptable
Adjective
  • Some would argue that picking a celebrity is the wrong way forward.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
  • Simple and neat solutions are alluring but often wrong.
    Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
Adjective
  • Consumer spending softened, increasing 1.8%, down from a 4% rise in the fourth quarter, but a decent performance in light of stock market turmoil and poor weather early in the quarter.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • These factors could contribute material risk to Nike’s earnings and put the company in a poor position to manage near-term headwinds.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 30 Apr. 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
  • President Donald Trump intends to completely reimagine U.S. trade relations with our closest partners and fiercest rivals, for better or worse.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • As an attempt to derive meaning from a meaningless phrase —which was, after all, the user's request—that's not half bad.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Those who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to have anemia.
    Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025
  • However, the team continues through the postseason, things could be tougher as other teams won't be as deficient in the frontcourt as the Lakers.
    Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Big, wonderful, funny, horrible, strange, sad, great life.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2025
  • One of our group hunted it on a rainy afternoon — traditionally a horrible time to bag a bird — and killed a 3-year-old tom. —A.M. Don’t Become Overly Reliant on Your Cameras Cameras aren’t magic.
    Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Councilmember Vivian Moreno said the timing on the prostitution detectives seems awful, with prostitution appearing to have gotten worse in recent months on Dalbergia Street in Barrio Logan.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
  • This background informs Idles’ rebellious reflex, whereas awful American rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Green Day are merely bratty.
    Armond White, National Review, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • Transgender kids, especially under the current president, are facing terrible rights losses and bigotry.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
  • Such legislation is meant to destabilize Pakistan’s internal politics, which is in no one’s interests, except those who promoted such a terrible idea in the first place.
    Christopher Shays, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025

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“Unacceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unacceptable. Accessed 14 May. 2025.

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