1
: having no teeth
2
a
: lacking in sharpness or bite
spoke in toothless generalities—
Arthur Hepner
Arthur Hepner
b
: lacking in means of enforcement or coercion : ineffectual
Examples of toothless in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At a House markup in April, Democrats warned that a weakened FTC could struggle to keep up with take-down requests, rendering the bill toothless.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Critics have said the law was already largely toothless, and officials in the first Trump administration were routinely accused of violating it, with little punishment meted out.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Following their abduction, a photo of Kfir holding a pink elephant toy and looking directly at the camera with a toothless smile has been featured in numerous campaigns and protests around the world.
—Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
For now, space debris faces similarly toothless regulations.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toothless
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Andrew R. Chow, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Critics have said the law was already largely toothless, and officials in the first Trump administration were routinely accused of violating it, with little punishment meted out.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Following their abduction, a photo of Kfir holding a pink elephant toy and looking directly at the camera with a toothless smile has been featured in numerous campaigns and protests around the world.
—Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
For now, space debris faces similarly toothless regulations.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toothless
Cite this Entry
“Toothless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothless. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toothless
adjective
tooth·less
ˈtüth-ləs 
: having no teeth
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