1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
this argument is totally fruitless, as neither of us will change our position
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
not able to produce fruit or offspring
a stand of blighted, fruitless trees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fruitless
Discovered almost instantly, this latest raid in Kenner had proved brief and fruitless.
—
Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Distraught, Helga begins a fruitless search for work.
—Nicky Marsh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
Using ground meat with a lower fat percentage and forgoing the fruitless task of achieving any browning by cooking it hard means the meat will remain succulent and tender.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
After a year of fruitless meetings with investors and actors who universally dismissed the project, Hwang made the decision to bury the script in his computer and wait.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Distraught, Helga begins a fruitless search for work.
—Nicky Marsh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
Using ground meat with a lower fat percentage and forgoing the fruitless task of achieving any browning by cooking it hard means the meat will remain succulent and tender.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
After a year of fruitless meetings with investors and actors who universally dismissed the project, Hwang made the decision to bury the script in his computer and wait.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
-
Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
-
During the most recent campaign and in a previous unsuccessful run for mayor, Laesch claimed Irvin prioritized government contracts or incentives to those who donated to his campaign, which Irvin consistently denied.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It cannot be maintained in such barren ground.—
David B Mcgarry,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Haggerty noted what the Artemis crew saw on the moon’s surface, including steep canyon walls and barren wasteland.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tackling plant problems at the wrong time in a plant’s or insect’s life cycle can be futile and environmentally harmful.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here.—
Dale Robertson,
Houston Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Navarro says that when every piece of décor is in matching pairs, the space can feel forced, overly staged, and even a little sterile.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
11 Apr. 2026
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Select vines that are sterile or have easy-to-remove seed pods.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of being an anchoring penultimate episode, the entire display felt useless and confusing, as if the audience was suddenly watching an entirely different television program.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
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In my tests, the feature was almost completely useless.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
After an unfruitful weekend of bargaining, Natomas educators are preparing to strike Tuesday as district leaders ready themselves to keep schools open for around 17,000 students without classroom teachers.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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The question of whether artificial intelligence is or can ever be conscious remains unclear, but that does not mean the investigations have so far proved unfruitful.—
Theodore McDarrah,
Forbes.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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