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
Few in the Gulf share the optimistic views in Tel Aviv and Washington that the war was a stunning and decisive success, that Iran has been durably chastened, and that the limited damage incurred in Qatar proves that Iran is toothless.
—Hasan T. Alhasan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2025
Mascherano wanted to have the ball and control the tempo, but even though Miami had 69 percent of the possession, the team was uncharacteristically toothless on the night.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
With so many players in the game, the competition is simultaneously fierce and toothless.
—Todd Fisher, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
That would render toothless any injunctions or temporary restraining orders issued against the Trump administration where the security requirement was waived, because judges would not be able to enforce contempt rulings if the orders were violated.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for toothless
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Hasan T. Alhasan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2025
Mascherano wanted to have the ball and control the tempo, but even though Miami had 69 percent of the possession, the team was uncharacteristically toothless on the night.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
With so many players in the game, the competition is simultaneously fierce and toothless.
—Todd Fisher, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
That would render toothless any injunctions or temporary restraining orders issued against the Trump administration where the security requirement was waived, because judges would not be able to enforce contempt rulings if the orders were violated.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 28 May 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 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toothless
adjective
tooth·less
ˈtüth-ləs 
: having no teeth
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