as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of powerless
There, a federal circuit court held that President Abraham Lincoln was powerless to suspend the writ of habeas corpus because the Constitution entrusted the suspension power exclusively to Congress.
—
Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
Put simply: individual officers were powerless against the System.
—Marc J. Dunkelman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
But the lack of consistent messaging has left many everyday Democrats across the country feeling angry and powerless, the New York Times reported over the weekend.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025
Mara had stumbled into a treacherous leadership trap—feeling powerless and out of control.
—Lisa Hale, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
Put simply: individual officers were powerless against the System.
—Marc J. Dunkelman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
But the lack of consistent messaging has left many everyday Democrats across the country feeling angry and powerless, the New York Times reported over the weekend.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025
Mara had stumbled into a treacherous leadership trap—feeling powerless and out of control.
—Lisa Hale, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
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Bailey's predicament isn't the first time a dog has found itself in an amusingly helpless situation.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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The Flames’ penalty kill was the NHL’s best in March before Monday (95.5 percent), but the Maple Leafs made the group look helpless with one goal from William Nylander and two by Matthews.—
Nick Ashbourne,
The Athletic,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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It's used for amputees, paralyzed drivers and those suffering from hip displacement issues.—
Swish Goswami,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Two people have been convicted on conspiracy and murder charges for their role in a triple shooting in Hartford in 2021 that left one man dead, another paralyzed and a third victim injured.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Cleanup crews noted the tree’s root system was very weak.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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