as in futile
producing no results
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsuccessful
In 2022, Lanhee Chen — one of the younger, more attractive Republican candidates of recent years — received nearly 45% of the vote in an unsuccessful bid for state controller.
—
Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
Moore clearly was out-negotiated by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, just like when former Maryland teams, the Capitals and Wizards, proposed leaving D.C.
— Robin Ficker, Boyds
The writer, a Republican, was an unsuccessful primary candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2025
The show, which had its official opening Sunday at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre, tells the story of the unsuccessful career of a real-life bandit, who achieved more fame as a corpse than as a man.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The lawsuit comes after the pari-mutuel companies West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. filed unsuccessful challenges in state and federal courts to sports betting.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
Moore clearly was out-negotiated by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, just like when former Maryland teams, the Capitals and Wizards, proposed leaving D.C.
— Robin Ficker, Boyds
The writer, a Republican, was an unsuccessful primary candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2025
The show, which had its official opening Sunday at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre, tells the story of the unsuccessful career of a real-life bandit, who achieved more fame as a corpse than as a man.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The lawsuit comes after the pari-mutuel companies West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. filed unsuccessful challenges in state and federal courts to sports betting.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
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These results, though significant, don’t necessarily mean that efforts to effectively mitigate deepfakes are futile.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2025
-
The similarly futile attempts to portray John Walker as a flawed but good man, despite his callous rage and murderous tendencies?—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In one sense, Henry is the kind of useless man who creates hard times with his own passivity.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2025
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Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin Like many a controversial Y2K trend, the useless hip belt has made its way back into the sartorial zeitgeist with trendsetters like Emily Ratajkowski and Dua Lipa reviving the aesthetic in recent seasons.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The military establishment was especially sensitive to criticism at the time – less than a month after the abortive revolt by Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.—
Katharina Krebs,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
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Trump hosts Ireland head of government Micheal Martin Although Democrats beat expectations in the midterm elections two years earlier, Biden headed into his abortive reelection bid with low job approval ratings.—
W. James Antle III,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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