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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Recent Examples of powerless
Persistent electricity blackouts, record inflation and soaring unemployment have left citizens disillusioned by their powerless leadership.
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Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
When Nemo’s curiosity gets the best of him and he’s captured by a diver, his dear old dad is powerless to save him.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Up to that point, society valued power and status, but Jesus turned the world upside down with a focus on the poor, powerless and marginalized.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
However, authorities were not powerless to prosecute nightriding before 1909, as there were many other crimes with which perpetrators could be charged.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
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Americans have gotten used to the idea that our government is helpless to get anything done.—
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Neighbors are feeling helpless, especially as tax season gets underway.—
Adjective
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Clancy allegedly strangled her three children and then tried to kill herself by jumping out a window in 2023, leaving her paralyzed from the sternum down.—
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Smith, an Arizona husband and father, is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe.—
Adjective
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New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.—
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Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).—
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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