as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
inefficient measures to solve the problem of teenage smoking
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Recent Examples of inefficient
Seth Lugo salvages inefficient start Lugo didn’t have his best command Saturday.
—
Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
White was similarly inefficient, scoring seven points on 3-of-12 shooting, including 1-for-6 from 3-point range.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Examples cited include students using inefficient workarounds for simple tasks, such as manually spacing text instead of using formatting tools.
—Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Electronic warfare systems often fail against autonomous drones with hardened communications, while missile interceptors are inefficient against low-cost, high-volume threats.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
White was similarly inefficient, scoring seven points on 3-of-12 shooting, including 1-for-6 from 3-point range.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Examples cited include students using inefficient workarounds for simple tasks, such as manually spacing text instead of using formatting tools.
—Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Electronic warfare systems often fail against autonomous drones with hardened communications, while missile interceptors are inefficient against low-cost, high-volume threats.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficient
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
-
Trump responded sharply the following day, criticizing the pope's leadership and accusing him of being weak on crime and ineffective on foreign policy.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
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Other management methods, such as traps, have so far been ineffective.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When both Chicago and Illinois have significantly lagged the nation as a whole in terms of economic growth, there are few tax ideas more counterproductive than penalizing big companies for employing people within a city’s boundaries.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Still, as California real estate broker Doug Shepherd previously shared with BHG, sometimes waiting too long for the market to improve—with lower rates and more affordable pricing—can be counterproductive.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inefficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficient. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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