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
The executive order is seen by some as toothless and, ultimately, a paper tiger in the fight to protect consumers from a new, largely unregulated industry.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
Beyond just recounting great Onion moments, Christine Wenc notes how the paper hipped us to the dangers of news as entertainment and the damage caused by toothless outlets like USA Today.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Raskin's resolution is widely seen as legally toothless because the Constitution grants Trump broad pardon powers that cannot be curbed by Congress.
—Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025
But, still, the sequel is a little toothless — not just Nick’s move from con man to cop but throughout the metropolis.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toothless
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Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
Beyond just recounting great Onion moments, Christine Wenc notes how the paper hipped us to the dangers of news as entertainment and the damage caused by toothless outlets like USA Today.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Raskin's resolution is widely seen as legally toothless because the Constitution grants Trump broad pardon powers that cannot be curbed by Congress.
—Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025
But, still, the sequel is a little toothless — not just Nick’s move from con man to cop but throughout the metropolis.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 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 26 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toothless
adjective
tooth·less
ˈtüth-ləs 
: having no teeth
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