How to Use unsportsmanlike in a Sentence

unsportsmanlike

adjective
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated.
  • Dunks were rare then, considered by purists to be show-offy and unsportsmanlike.
    — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2022
  • Branch’s postgame outburst was not the first time unsportsmanlike conduct has hurt him.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
  • He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from the game.
    — Emmett Prosser, Journal Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2023
  • Jones isn't the first owner to be flagged for such unsportsmanlike conduct.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Refs handed out unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and made bad calls and poor spots all the same.
    — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 9 Feb. 2020
  • But an unsportsmanlike penalty on the play forced the extra point back to the 20.
    — cleveland, 25 Oct. 2020
  • Green then received a flagrant 2 foul for unsportsmanlike conduct and was thrown out of the game.
    — Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2023
  • They were flagged for an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, putting the ball back to the 16.
    — Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Sep. 2021
  • Teair Tart had a dumb unsportsmanlike penalty.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Both set out to take unfair advantage, which is at the heart of unsportsmanlike conduct.
    — Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
  • Decatur took the lead, and one of his players was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for cursing.
    — Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas News, 27 June 2023
  • Zverev was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct.
    — ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Saban has the other for his unsportsmanlike conduct in the Duke game.
    — Michael Casagrande | [email protected], al, 17 Sep. 2019
  • Solo took the loss hard and made a few unsportsmanlike comments during the post-game press conference.
    — Samantha Stutsman, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024
  • He was called an unsportsmanlike conduct 15-yard penalty after he was heard loud and clear in the right side of the end zone.
    — Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2021
  • Alarie was assessed an unsportsmanlike foul, and Maryland went to the foul line to extend its lead.
    — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 16 Mar. 2018
  • Toward the end of the game, Clifton said, a play led to both teams getting a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
    — Carol Robinson | [email protected], al, 28 Nov. 2022
  • The Huskies got breaks, three face-mask penalties and an unsportsmanlike conduct that aided in three scoring drives.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2022
  • Cass was also hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, so King went to work from the 13-yard line.
    — Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 15 Oct. 2022
  • An unsportsmanlike penalty forced a 35-yard point-after attempt, which was blocked at the line of scrimmage.
    — Mitch Stephens, SFChronicle.com, 2 Nov. 2019
  • Eno Benjamin flipped the ball in the air and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, taking the ball back to the 17.
    — Michelle Gardner, azcentral, 26 Oct. 2019
  • Taron Vincent was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for something that happened at the end of the first half.
    — Nathan Baird, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022
  • On top of a holding call that backed them up 10 yards, they were tagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which set up first-and-35.
    — Tony Garcia, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2022
  • The Hoosiers were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which moved the ball to the 11.
    — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2017
  • Both players were issued unsportsmanlike technical fouls and ejected from the game.
    — Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
  • He was then flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
    — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2024
  • Taurasi, of the Phoenix Mercury, was handed an unsportsmanlike technical foul but played the rest of the game.
    — Paul Doyle, courant.com, 21 May 2017
  • An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Hurricanes pushed them back to the 25 with less than a minute left.
    — Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
  • Gould runs it back 8 yards to the OSU 36, but then an unsportsmanlike penalty.
    — Nick Daschel | [email protected], oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023

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

Last Updated: