1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
an ineffective effort to reduce unemployment that only spurred inflation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
an ineffective medication that will be denied FDA approval
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffective
The series follows a group of ineffective Canadian superheroes who become the world’s last hope after all other heroes are killed off.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 May 2025
Incredibly, Atlassian found workers lose 25 billion hours per year because of ineffective teamwork or poor collaboration.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
The intraparty wrangling has also hit the Democratic National Committee, where leaders are pressuring Hogg to drop a push to primary some Democratic incumbents deemed ineffective and aging.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
The Crown’s offensive diversity — featuring 10 different goal scorers this season — proved ineffective against New England’s tactical discipline.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 May 2025
Incredibly, Atlassian found workers lose 25 billion hours per year because of ineffective teamwork or poor collaboration.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
The intraparty wrangling has also hit the Democratic National Committee, where leaders are pressuring Hogg to drop a push to primary some Democratic incumbents deemed ineffective and aging.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
The Crown’s offensive diversity — featuring 10 different goal scorers this season — proved ineffective against New England’s tactical discipline.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffective
Adjective
-
Several attempts to establish at least a partial ceasefire have been unsuccessful.—
DASHA LITVINOVA,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Later that month, Kalyn Free, an attorney from Oklahoma who was unsuccessful in her bid for a vice chair position, filed a complaint alleging that the DNC improperly merged two separate questions into a single vote.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Though their efforts were futile, their remains provide remarkable insight into the doomed city’s final moments.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
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Through the two-hour journey that makes up the Thunderbolt’s origin story, the audience experiences the way these skilled fighters continue butting heads over the most futile issues.—
Malik Peay,
Essence,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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The space weather exercise overseen by NOAA found that inefficient communication between space weather experts and other government agencies and stakeholders likely to deal with the fallout of these incidents could lead to incorrect conclusions.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
16 May 2025
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Businesses often overlook the financial consequences of poor hiring decisions or inefficient technology, yet these areas directly affect the bottom line.—
Raja Walia,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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But in a time long before replay could overturn a call, protest was useless.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2025
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Those strong starts are useless if the Celtics can’t hold onto the advantage.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Both Lyman and Nordhaus say shrinking the NRC would be counterproductive.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
9 May 2025
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But not entirely on how or who’s in charge Harvard’s public refusal of Trump’s demands, Ackman asserted this week, was a counterproductive move that led to an unnecessary legal fight, as the university soon sued the government to restore its funding.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineffective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffective. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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