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
Compared to many other countries, Texas wastes an extraordinary amount of water through outdated infrastructure, inefficient consumption, and lack of innovation.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Property owners and taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for bloated payroll or inefficient systems.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
With the end of the flat cap era, the rebuilding path traced by the Utah Mammoth, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens in acquiring future assets by getting paid to take on underperforming veterans signed to inefficient contracts has largely dried up.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Like intuiting the next stage of the story, which takes time and is inefficient.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Property owners and taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for bloated payroll or inefficient systems.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
With the end of the flat cap era, the rebuilding path traced by the Utah Mammoth, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens in acquiring future assets by getting paid to take on underperforming veterans signed to inefficient contracts has largely dried up.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Like intuiting the next stage of the story, which takes time and is inefficient.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficient
Adjective
-
His work there included an unsuccessful effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, which drew congressional scrutiny.—
Dan Sullivan,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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Attempts to reach Coplan and Jones individually were unsuccessful.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Knoepfler also notes that the same substance that's helpful at one dose might be ineffective or even harmful at another dose.—
Sarah Boden,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2026
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Using on frozen or too-wet soil will be ineffective, and applying too late allows weeds to germinate.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Strom added that the offering outreach to homeless people with the threat of booting them and throwing their belongings out is counterproductive.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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And data showed outcomes were counterproductive.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inefficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficient. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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