1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
an ineffectual effort to find the trail again did at least lead them to another stunning view of the canyon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
another ineffectual plan to lose weight without dieting or exercising
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffectual
The messy online battle between Trump and Musk gave Democrats some relief from months of ineffectual attempts to impede the president’s agenda, recriminations over the 2024 election, divisions about their future, and a lack of clear leadership, resulting in historic unpopularity.
—
Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 6 June 2025
Three recent letters to the editor in The Baltimore Sun have highlighted the ineffectual performance standards of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s education reform plan that mandates increased spending on K-12 public education.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2025
So, for some businesses, the notion of a computer receptionist seems a welcome solution to the problem of ineffectual call centers.
—Darius Tahir, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
From the April 2024 issue: A bloody retelling of Huckleberry Finn
During the Civil War, Twain saw brief, ineffectual combat in a Confederate militia.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 6 June 2025
Three recent letters to the editor in The Baltimore Sun have highlighted the ineffectual performance standards of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s education reform plan that mandates increased spending on K-12 public education.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2025
So, for some businesses, the notion of a computer receptionist seems a welcome solution to the problem of ineffectual call centers.
—Darius Tahir, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
From the April 2024 issue: A bloody retelling of Huckleberry Finn
During the Civil War, Twain saw brief, ineffectual combat in a Confederate militia.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffectual
Adjective
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But buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and duringSpirt’s first bankruptcy process.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
30 Aug. 2025
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Federal rules require employers to first recruit domestically and, if unsuccessful, to pay H-2B workers the prevailing local wage.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Rockies’ brass, however, doesn’t believe the future is futile.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
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For a company of its size, competing on scale is futile.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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She’s brought in outside consultants to help the finance office fix its inefficient accounting systems, drawing praise from state officials.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Many cities continue to underprice curbside parking, contributing to congestion, cruising, and inefficient land use.—
Regina Clewlow,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This method is a significant departure from traditional chemical recycling techniques like pyrolysis, which operate at lower temperatures (450–600°C) and produce over a hundred different by-products, many of which are useless.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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Economists usually look at new jobs, but immigration is now very low, making that figure useless as a measure of how the economy is doing.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After watching their beloved pet struggle, the founder set out to create a solution rooted in clinical research instead of outdated and ineffective formulas.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In fact, the company deemed its IT-dependent controls relevant to the preparation of the consolidated financial statements were ineffective in 2022 and 2023.—
David Trainer,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But don’t rob a bank, because that’s counterproductive.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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For some people, particularly those building PCs and buying dedicated screens for monitoring PC components, requiring iCUE to run is counterproductive.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffectual. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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