as in unnecessary
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end
needless expenditures that pushed the construction project way over budget
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Recent Examples of needless
Trusting the reader trims needless words.
—
Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2026
Brighton concede another needless free kick midway inside the Arsenal half, and after a brief debate about which player should take it, Raya eventually steps forward.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Everything worked out in the end—and wedding culture was changed forever—but needless to say, the wedding episode pulls the curtain back in spectacular fashion.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
There are, needless to say, daddy issues aplenty here — with Daddy himself out of the fray, retired to a grandly crumbling rural estate, grieving the deaths of his young daughter and devoted brother, and very gradually writing his memoirs.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needless
Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2026
Brighton concede another needless free kick midway inside the Arsenal half, and after a brief debate about which player should take it, Raya eventually steps forward.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Everything worked out in the end—and wedding culture was changed forever—but needless to say, the wedding episode pulls the curtain back in spectacular fashion.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
There are, needless to say, daddy issues aplenty here — with Daddy himself out of the fray, retired to a grandly crumbling rural estate, grieving the deaths of his young daughter and devoted brother, and very gradually writing his memoirs.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needless
unnecessary
Adjective
-
Not one boater, diver, safety expert or lifeguard asked for this unnecessary threat to our natural resources and waste of tax dollars.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This was not the first time Karnišovas took an unnecessary risk on a clearly troubled player.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needless. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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