as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
an unmanageable dog who had to be returned to the pound
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Recent Examples of unmanageable
Padres starter Walker Buehler had an unmanageable third inning.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
The problem is not that Los Angeles cares too little about education; the problem is the unmanageable and underperforming bureaucracy to which delivering education has been entrusted.
—Daniel L Gordon, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Twin Rivers Unified School District teachers returned to their classrooms Monday, ending the union’s first-ever strike, a 12-day walkout motivated by what teachers described as untenable health care costs and unmanageable class sizes.
—Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
In 1933 the Department of Justice turned it into a federal penitentiary for prisoners considered especially violent or unmanageable.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unmanageable
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
The problem is not that Los Angeles cares too little about education; the problem is the unmanageable and underperforming bureaucracy to which delivering education has been entrusted.
—Daniel L Gordon, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Twin Rivers Unified School District teachers returned to their classrooms Monday, ending the union’s first-ever strike, a 12-day walkout motivated by what teachers described as untenable health care costs and unmanageable class sizes.
—Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
In 1933 the Department of Justice turned it into a federal penitentiary for prisoners considered especially violent or unmanageable.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unmanageable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmanageable
Adjective
-
An uncontrollable rise in heat was causing the water to vaporize.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Jared Speight is a stubborn titan of Long Island abstraction when star writer Roxy Margaux first becomes infatuated with his bravado.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
For concrete or tile, a mild cleaner helps remove the stubborn pollen film that builds up over spring months.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Commodity flows from the Persian Gulf are back at a near-standstill, a reminder of the intractable nature of the war in Iran.—
Weilun Soon,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An unruly passenger caused a United Airlines flight from Germany to Chicago to be diverted to a Boston airport on Monday morning.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Chytilová mirrors her characters’ lawless nature through the film’s avant-garde construction, making the form as unruly as its subjects.—
Jennifer Noyes,
Air Mail,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That lineage comes through in their ungovernable guitar noodling, inspired by underground icons NRBQ and Bottle Rockets, and a boisterous energy befitting of drunken basement shows.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2026
-
This judgment was based not on Altman’s track record, which was modest, but on his will to prevail, which Graham considered almost ungovernable.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But with the Lightning taking back home-ice advantage with this win and the series shifting back to Tampa, where Cooper will have full control of the matchup, the task becomes that much more difficult for the Suzuki line.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Consciousness may be the most recalcitrant concept of all.—
Dan Turello,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Adams had carefully shepherded it through an often-recalcitrant City Council and through the gauntlet of demands coming from both the real estate lobby and pro-housing advocates.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Bernthal, who plays Sonny, has his own wayward machismo and hapless sensitivity, the very qualities that made Al Pacino unforgettable in the role of the bungling bandit with a Catholic conscience.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Neaten your shrubs by removing any awkward or wayward growth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unmanageable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmanageable. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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