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
Johnson needs to shoot at that level, because his game inside the arc remains fairly toothless.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Genre audiences willing to settle for some weird-ass but ultimately toothless subversiveness might enjoy Buddy.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
The Hatch Act is one of our most toothless federal statutes.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Matt O’Shea, 19th, warned the new measure could lead to lawsuits against the city and described it as toothless.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
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John Hollinger, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Genre audiences willing to settle for some weird-ass but ultimately toothless subversiveness might enjoy Buddy.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
The Hatch Act is one of our most toothless federal statutes.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Matt O’Shea, 19th, warned the new measure could lead to lawsuits against the city and described it as toothless.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for toothless
Cite this Entry
“Toothless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothless. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toothless
adjective
tooth·less
ˈtüth-ləs 
: having no teeth
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