as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
harsh disciplinary measures that prove to be counterproductive
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Recent Examples of counterproductive
Idaho representatives reject ‘counterproductive’ fix Some lawmakers on Monday dismissed the bill as a simple tax increase.
—
Mark Dee
march 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 Mar. 2026
Tech leaders have quietly backed Anthropic, saying that AI isn’t ready for some weapons and that strong-arming companies is counterproductive and antidemocratic.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
That seems to be counterproductive.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
In July of last year Steyer sent out a tweet criticizing rent control for its deleterious and counterproductive effects.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterproductive
Mark Dee
march 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 Mar. 2026
Tech leaders have quietly backed Anthropic, saying that AI isn’t ready for some weapons and that strong-arming companies is counterproductive and antidemocratic.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
That seems to be counterproductive.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
In July of last year Steyer sent out a tweet criticizing rent control for its deleterious and counterproductive effects.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterproductive
Adjective
-
An attempt to get a comment from Scrooge Sul about the allegations was unsuccessful.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The man had surgical hardware in his right ankle but attempts to identify him from the serial numbers were unsuccessful, according to the medical examiner’s office.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Additionally, in a typical year, 17 million gallons of gas are spilled due to the inefficient manner the fuel is conveyed.—
Chris Hildreth,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
-
With the help of Ware’s positive minutes, the Heat survived an inefficient shooting night from Adebayo.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the law that governs CARE Court was being written, many advocacy groups insisted that coercion is ineffective and that modern mental health care favors treating people in the least restrictive settings possible.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Their navy has been deemed combat ineffective.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterproductive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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