1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
the prison is so well guarded that all attempts to escape have been futile
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the futile chatter of gossip columnists about the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of futile
But without Congress actually enacting the DOGE cuts into law, history will show this entire exercise to have been largely futile.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
The president has not signaled his next move as weeks of futile negotiating with Putin have dragged on.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 29 May 2025
Questioning proved futile, so investigators searched for hard evidence.
—Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
The film may be rife with despair, but its own power is proof that art isn’t entirely futile.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for futile
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
The president has not signaled his next move as weeks of futile negotiating with Putin have dragged on.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 29 May 2025
Questioning proved futile, so investigators searched for hard evidence.
—Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
The film may be rife with despair, but its own power is proof that art isn’t entirely futile.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for futile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futile
Adjective
-
Barca even took a legal case against the regulations to a Catalan court but were unsuccessful.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
The family's attempts to halt Oliva's deportation were unsuccessful.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Jeff: This has been such a silly way to seed the in-season tournament.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Wishing you a weekend of in-season snacks, silly time with old friends, and political victories of any size.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
However, disciplined conduct on the part of the activists and the intervention of other bystanders renders the attacks useless.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
-
Pine needles mixed with all the other fine debris rendered the guards useless.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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Dead Snow, though, bearing a poster that’s as good as the actual film, prides itself on its constant assault of goofy violence.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
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Despite the lack of bombast, The Alters tells a compelling and heartfelt narrative, with some goofier moments to break up the unrelenting drama.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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This is for sure: Acuna makes just $17 million per year despite everything, and Braves officials are beyond giddy.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Pixar’s first feature is still the template for every great movie the studio has made since: earned emotions; ripping action sequences; dead-on insights into human nature; and lots of giddy, witty, silly laughs.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Futile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futile. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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