UNSPORTSMANLIKE Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

unsportsmanlike

adjective

ˌən-ˈspȯrts-mən-ˌlīk

Definition of unsportsmanlike

as in foul

not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport was suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unsportsmanlike Wilson was assessed a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 However, during the game, Simmons, 20, also drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pretending to pee on the field. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026 In the Raiders game there was also an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that turned a third-down stop into a first down that Las Vegas converted into a touchdown. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026 Brents had a solid day; he was victimized on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that seemed unjustified. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsportsmanlike

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsportsmanlike

Adjective

The bodies of Machado and her daughters were discovered days later after a neighbor noticed a foul odor coming from the home.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Caminero pulled Smith’s first-pitch splitter off the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer that gave the Rays a 5-1 lead.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of foul

Adjective

International rights groups have repeatedly criticized the detention and, in some cases, execution of people after unfair trials.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Murmurs about the power of politicians and unfair advantages of the rich were heard as participants warmed up to each other.

— Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfair

Adjective

The polls still show a close-range contest, but in the increasingly nasty ad war, the spending suggests a far more lopsided fight.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Officers then cuffed the youngster as he was loaded into an ambulance and hospitalized for a fractured femur and a nasty bruise on his head, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the teen’s dad, Mahmoud Saleh, in Brooklyn Federal Court.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

unspools

unsportsmanlike

unspotted

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“Unsportsmanlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsportsmanlike. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsportsmanlike

adjective

Example Sentences

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