defeat the purpose of
idiom
: to make (something) pointless
It would defeat the purpose of having a nice car if you never got to drive it.
Examples of defeat the purpose of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Williams, the public advocate, said in the rotunda that excluding Level 1 interactions would also defeat the purpose of the bill.
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Michael Gartland, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2024
Trapping water would defeat the purpose of filling the cracks to seal them.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Plugging the gap between the flashing and the window trim or lower panel would trap moisture and defeat the purpose of the flashing.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
Putting on an opaque case would defeat the purpose of the Glyph system, but there's more to the Nothing Phone (2) than its back.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 11 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for defeat the purpose of 
Michael Gartland, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2024
Trapping water would defeat the purpose of filling the cracks to seal them.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Plugging the gap between the flashing and the window trim or lower panel would trap moisture and defeat the purpose of the flashing.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
Putting on an opaque case would defeat the purpose of the Glyph system, but there's more to the Nothing Phone (2) than its back.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 11 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for defeat the purpose of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defeat the purpose of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Defeat the purpose of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defeat%20the%20purpose%20of. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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