as in unsuccessful
producing no results
an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship
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Recent Examples of abortive
The Chinese duo’s voices pirouette around a pulse that sounds like a car door chime as abortive crashes puncture the otherwise placid, kickless ambience.
—
James Gui,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
The social media profiles of some Moran personnel also show they were linked to Wagner, which was effectively liquidated after its then boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an abortive revolt in Russia in 2023.
—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
18 Dec. 2025
Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releases in recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality.
—
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Garbowit recalls that there were only around sixteen members of Congress lined up behind Thanedor’s abortive resolution—so the fact that Green’s follow-up motion garnered seventy-nine supporters in the caucus is a sign of progress.
—
Chris Lehmann,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abortive
James Gui,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
The social media profiles of some Moran personnel also show they were linked to Wagner, which was effectively liquidated after its then boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an abortive revolt in Russia in 2023.
—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
18 Dec. 2025
Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releases in recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality.
—
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Garbowit recalls that there were only around sixteen members of Congress lined up behind Thanedor’s abortive resolution—so the fact that Green’s follow-up motion garnered seventy-nine supporters in the caucus is a sign of progress.
—
Chris Lehmann,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abortive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abortive
Adjective
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More than a decade ago, her association sought the same change at the federal level and was unsuccessful — opposed at the time by Wine Institute.
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The city had taken it over, but several attempts at renovation were unsuccessful, until Alan Leventhal, chief executive of Beacon Capital Partners, happened to see the building and envisioned it as a great hotel.
Adjective
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Uso’s conquest proved to be futile.
-
Some days that hope can seem futile.
Cite this Entry
“Abortive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abortive. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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