as in worthless
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
America has already achieved an important objective by restoring credibility to our deterrence since military power is worthless if adversaries don’t believe this power will ever be employed.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The winner of the postal contract — a worthless piece of paper without Havana landing rights — was forced to merge.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kirby said in a staff memo last week that the airline is going to cut unprofitable flights over the next two quarters.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Such high-status public offerings could ratchet up the mania, and increase the potential for financial contagion, as more people’s retirement accounts and investment portfolios get tied up in still-unprofitable AI companies.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Freeland endured an unproductive spring but still made his first-ever Opening Day roster and has found a sounding board in Betts, the 2018 American League MVP.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
After an unproductive call with Caroline's belligerent husband (Ronald Bronstein), Linda gives the child to the police.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An attempt to get a comment from Scrooge Sul about the allegations was unsuccessful.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The man had surgical hardware in his right ankle but attempts to identify him from the serial numbers were unsuccessful, according to the medical examiner’s office.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Other marketing jobs on RentAHuman seem equally pointless, like a $25 street promo for a cryptography startup, or a $5 job reviewing AI generated cartoons.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But to go so far as to dismiss the past… Making a snide comment about the Cannes audience, which has always welcomed him warmly, was pointless and unfair.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bernadine appeared to be useless—or, worse, a potential double agent.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Sending your resume into the void has never felt more useless.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 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
-
On Saturday, Durant reaffirmed his stance that the question of his and other superstars’ effort was an unavailing narrative to explore every February.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The position advanced by the states is legally unavailing as a matter of longstanding and well-established law.—
WSJ,
WSJ,
25 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Nonproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonproductive. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
