Examinations for certificates of competency were instituted for all masters and mates of foreign-going ships and were subject to withdrawal if they proved incompetent or unfit to perform their duties.

Even though it would be great to go back, Marty McFly-style, to spend a weekend in 1957 New York, modern scientists have proved wholly incompetent in their efforts to build a time machine.

The Bush administration has proved utterly incompetent in fighting terrorists, but it has skillfully exploited the terrorist threat for domestic political gain.

Or he was connected to live humans who proved incompetent or indifferent; one woman all but invited him to take his money elsewhere.

FEMA's response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 perfectly foreshadowed Katrina: the agency took three days to arrive on the scene, and when it did, it proved utterly incompetent.

But almost every time an Amyrlin proved so incompetent or otherwise problematic that she threatened the future of the Tower, sisters have risen up to remove her.

A fair law would set reasonable time limits for filing death penalty petitions but also deal justly with prisoners whose lawyers have made minor mistakes or proved grossly incompetent.

Lucille appoints Gob the new Bluth Company president, but since Gob proves utterly incompetent, the position's real duties revert to Michael.

Nigeria's last experiment with civilian rule, which began in 1979, ended in 1983 because politicians proved altogether corrupt and incompetent.

The young Emperor proved hopelessly incompetent.