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
More broadly, McCann has raised concerns about how the county is led, contending supervisors have been ineffective on homelessness and housing while running a budget deficit.
—
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
While major players such as Facebook and YouTube might be able to absorb the legal pressure, smaller competitors could be forced out of the market or rendered ineffective.
—Daryl Lim, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
What really matters is whether the negotiations are effective or ineffective, the seriousness of the parties, their intentions, and their will to reach an agreement.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
The Canucks were mostly lifeless and ineffective with the early two power-play opportunities they were handed.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
While major players such as Facebook and YouTube might be able to absorb the legal pressure, smaller competitors could be forced out of the market or rendered ineffective.
—Daryl Lim, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
What really matters is whether the negotiations are effective or ineffective, the seriousness of the parties, their intentions, and their will to reach an agreement.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
The Canucks were mostly lifeless and ineffective with the early two power-play opportunities they were handed.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffective
Adjective
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But the Supreme Court denied the court order and requests to President Donald Trump from family, supporters and her attorney were unsuccessful.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Meanwhile, Min and Chris’ closest friends, Kelly Marie Tran’s Angela, a research scientist, and Lily Gladstone’s Lee, an Indigenous community organizer, have been struggling to conceive a child; Lee has just found out that her second round of IVF has been unsuccessful.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Another recommendation: Attacking Trump’s character, however abhorrent critics may find it, is futile.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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Regardless, returning him would be futile, said the president’s aides, as his ultimate fate would be imprisonment, in the United States or elsewhere.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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More importantly, Brunson is coming off a 34-point night in Game 1 despite a rare inefficient shooting night.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
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Hardware orders in late March reached new records, indicating operators are swapping out inefficient rigs rather than capitulating.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Once the borer has entered the stem, insecticides are useless.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2025
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Though small, the defect made the telescope mostly useless to astronomers.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some constitutional scholars still maintain that hair-on-fire rhetoric about the demise of the republic is counterproductive.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, predicted the measure, if passed would be counterproductive.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineffective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffective. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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