How to Use powerless in a Sentence

powerless

adjective
Definition of powerlessnext
Synonyms for powerlessnext
  • I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.
  • White House aides concede that the loss of the House in the midterms has left Biden powerless.
    — Dallas News, 15 Jan. 2023
  • At that point, the Dali was drifting, powerless, toward the bridge at a speed of about 8 knots.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
  • But the decision left the pumps powerless to move water through the pipes.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2023
  • But a powerless display sitting idly in a room does not rise to such a level.
    — Matthew Malec, National Review, 27 Dec. 2023
  • Even the most law-abiding driver is powerless against its charms.
    — Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 6 Feb. 2023
  • The victim's sister watched part of the attack unfold but was powerless to stop it.
    — Esha Mitra, CNN, 4 Feb. 2022
  • But even the most powerful gay [person] in Qatar is powerless in some ways.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Like many, Lipa feels powerless in the face of the ongoing conflict.
    — Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Most of the time, Egyptians simply submit, powerless before the state.
    — Vivian Yee, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023
  • By the end of the first film, Paul’s father has been killed, leaving the family powerless and in disarray.
    — Lucas Trevor, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
  • In a town full of lawyers with high-powered clients, Erin Scheick serves the seemingly powerless.
    — John Kelly, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022
  • Being a bystander to this sort of horror show can make a person feel powerless.
    — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2023
  • His try at taking down the corrupt Jo Tae-seob ends with Tae-seob mocking him for being powerless.
    — Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022
  • Where and when people feel confused, despised, and powerless, the same kinds of stories will creep back into the public square.
    — Samuel Goldman, The Week, 18 May 2022
  • Mere human parents are left powerless against her pull on fans.
    — Carrie Simonelli, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023
  • In real life, many of the women are powerless, says Alicia Keller, one of the early critics of the trend and an ex-wife to a mafia-affiliate.
    — USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
  • So many aspects of the upcoming elections are out of our hands—and feeling powerless can have an impact on you.
    — Maggie O'Neill, SELF, 1 Nov. 2022
  • Hofmann seems way too old and jaded to sell the notion that Werner is some powerless kid forced to work alongside monsters.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023
  • There is not one rule for friends, another for foes; one rule for the powerful, another for the powerless; one rule for the rich, another for the poor.
    — NBC News, 18 Sep. 2022
  • New York’s lineup is powerless without the reigning MVP.
    — Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2023
  • Wind gusts that strong could easily down power lines and make for a miserably hot powerless evening.
    — Aya Elamroussi, CNN, 27 July 2023
  • But advocates are powerless to navigate around the new rules until the court case is resolved.
    — Maria Sacchetti, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2023
  • The Victim The Victim is the person who feels wronged and acts helpless or feels powerless to change their circumstances (when in reality that may not be the case).
    — Neha Sangwan, Fortune Well, 26 Sep. 2023
  • Notably, the pontiff spoke about the role of the United Nations and dismissed the organization as powerless.
    — Fox News, 1 July 2022
  • Most important, these books also give children a sense of agency and hope, so they aren’t left feeling powerless.
    — Krista Langlois, Outside Online, 5 May 2022
  • Jamie Dimon is changing his tune on the chances of a recession hitting, as even America’s biggest banks seem powerless to stop the forces at play.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2022
  • If the odds of change at the federal level are challenging, that doesn’t mean states and localities are powerless.
    — Jake Blumgart, oregonlive, 7 Feb. 2022
  • Without a semi-final jury vote to fall back on, this may be powerless to avoid an early exit.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 9 May 2023
  • His workday doesn’t end until 10 P.M. Days off are dictated by the wind, because single-engine pangas are powerless to fight the strong gusts that kick up from the hot desert.
    — Adam Skolnick, Outside Online, 4 May 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'powerless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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