as in worthless
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Recent Examples of nonproductive
Pruning also thins nonproductive stems, allowing light to reach the interior of the tree and ripen the fruit.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Course of trade in the oil industry often leaves the public on the hook for nonproductive well cleanup costs, including capping.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Buoyed by the early promise of its Dravet therapeutic, the company developed a second drug candidate, STK-002, that similarly targets splicing to turn nonproductive gene transcripts into constructive ones.
—Elie Dolgin, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2023
Remove all twiggy, dead or nonproductive growth.
—oregonlive, 8 Mar. 2022
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Course of trade in the oil industry often leaves the public on the hook for nonproductive well cleanup costs, including capping.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Buoyed by the early promise of its Dravet therapeutic, the company developed a second drug candidate, STK-002, that similarly targets splicing to turn nonproductive gene transcripts into constructive ones.
—Elie Dolgin, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2023
Remove all twiggy, dead or nonproductive growth.
—oregonlive, 8 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonproductive
Adjective
-
Life itself being worthless, all things with it, that feed it, are worthless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Yonquenide wouldn’t discuss any of it, not even the monthly hyperinflation of some 20% to 30% that made his small income almost worthless.—
Maeva Bambuck,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Second, the tariffs were so large that cutting prices to absorb them would make many exports unprofitable.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
With the price as light sweet crude at record high prices, Chevron and other companies are scrambling to drill new wells and reopen old wells once considered unprofitable.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Blueberries Blueberry plants become weak and unproductive if they’re not pruned from time to time in winter.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Morgan has a strong track record of getting draft picks for unproductive and/or unhappy receivers, so that possibility can’t be dismissed.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Star-Telegram attempted to reach Atkins for comment, but was unsuccessful.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Last year, the moderate Democrat took on a crowded field of candidates in an unsuccessful bid to become New York City mayor.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The negotiations with Iran are pointless.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That’s more pointless pain for families who have tried to follow the law but are now living in fear.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Homeowners and residents are baffled by the attacks upon their beautiful — but otherwise seemingly useless — plants.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
My deep cynicism thinks this was a diabolical plan to herd young people toward expensive, and somewhat useless, college degrees.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In October, the Miami Herald reported on abortive negotiations — also involving Qatar — in which Rodríguez proposed leading a transitional government if Maduro agreed to step aside and retire to a prearranged safe haven.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The social media profiles of some Moran personnel also show they were linked to Wagner, which was effectively liquidated after its then boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an abortive revolt in Russia in 2023.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The position advanced by the states is legally unavailing as a matter of longstanding and well-established law.—
WSJ,
WSJ,
25 July 2018
-
Efforts to aid him with lifeboats, three of which were ineffectually trying to breast the heavy sea, were unavailing, while a lifeline, held by a number of rescuers, was carried far out into the surf by a number of swimmers.—
sandiegouniontribune.com,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
6 May 2018
Cite this Entry
“Nonproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonproductive. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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