How to Use unlikely in a Sentence

unlikely

adjective
  • A big city seems like an unlikely place to find wildlife.
  • He was an unlikely candidate for the position.
  • I received support from an unlikely ally.
  • The study is unlikely to be the last word on the fate of the West Antarctic ice shelves.
    Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2023
  • But at this early stage in the race, that looks unlikely.
    Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 18 Apr. 2023
  • Roy sits on the committee, and is unlikely to vote in favor of the bill.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
  • Walk-on Mekhi Mews has been an unlikely Georgia star through the first two games.
    Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023
  • This often means some unlikely characters end up on the side of the good.
    Scott Bradfield, The New Republic, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Chris and his/your peeps are unlikely to forgive you, so just leave them alone.
    Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Aug. 2023
  • The only reason Jim’s dad could be the unlikely thread through the franchise was because of what Levy did with the role.
    Hunter Ingram, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
  • The prospect of such places, of course, remains highly unlikely.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
  • But that trip is unlikely to take place now, Fulton said.
    Nectar Gan, CNN, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Both the zipper at the top and on the interior pocket are strong and very unlikely to get caught or break.
    Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2023
  • Molina then meets Marxist Valentin Arregui Paz in his cell, and the two form an unlikely bond.
    Michaela Zee, Variety, 7 Jan. 2024
  • While your instinct might be to run away, choosing to act first and think later, this is unlikely to be the route to success.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Most voters of all stripes want the trials to take place before people vote, but that seems unlikely.
    David Jackson, USA TODAY, 10 July 2023
  • But the economic landscape this year means that’s unlikely to change soon.
    Will Daniel, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2023
  • Use your own judgment, of course, but for the most part, these sentiments are unlikely to be well-received.
    Alex Hazlett, Parents, 19 Oct. 2023
  • But an unlikely tournament run is in the Wolfpack's blood; N.C.
    Becky Sullivan, NPR, 29 Mar. 2024
  • It’s made from silky polyester-satin that’s unlikely to wrinkle, shrink, or fade – even after dozens of washes.
    Rebecca Martinson, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Patients who are deemed unlikely to show up for a visit are more likely to be double-booked.
    Darius Tahir, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
  • But that’s a step many low-income residents are unlikely to take, Blasi said.
    Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Germany was quick to point out that Mr. Macron seemed an unlikely standard-bearer.
    Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024
  • But Creutz believes a major M&A deal is unlikely to transpire within the next 12 months.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Jan. 2024
  • And in the case of the United States, which is still widely considered a safe-haven investment relative to the rest of the world, that is unlikely to change any time soon.
    Bryan Mena, CNN, 2 Aug. 2023
  • The precipitation started to let up toward the evening, and an on-time start still felt unlikely.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
  • The unlikely trio became friendly, and Grayson looked forward to hearing their thoughts on her outfits.
    Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024
  • Nothing else is known about the spinoff at this time, and the December premiere date may be unlikely as the writers' strike continues.
    Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 9 July 2023
  • To be clear, anyone who buys a repellent is highly unlikely to need it.
    Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 7 July 2023
  • While Martinez had four 100-RBI seasons before in his career, none was as unlikely as this year’s.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unlikely.' 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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