as in senselessly
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Recent Examples of pointlessly
The kitchen is also pointlessly complicated.
—
Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Trump should ask himself whether stirring a hornet’s nest serves any purpose other than pointlessly alienating a benevolent neighbor that is beginning to pad its insurance policy by reaching out to non-hemispheric powers.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
My partner’s refusal to be comforted by this institutional food struck me sometimes as pointlessly obstructive and at other times as a sign of self-respect.
—Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Few endeavors could signal virtue as pointlessly or gratuitously.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Trump should ask himself whether stirring a hornet’s nest serves any purpose other than pointlessly alienating a benevolent neighbor that is beginning to pad its insurance policy by reaching out to non-hemispheric powers.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
My partner’s refusal to be comforted by this institutional food struck me sometimes as pointlessly obstructive and at other times as a sign of self-respect.
—Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Few endeavors could signal virtue as pointlessly or gratuitously.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pointlessly
Adverb
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Amid this slew of senselessly avoidant, irrational behavior, Duchovny’s performance emerges as the most credible.—
Natalia Winkelman,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2026
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Fifteen innocent souls – including a Holocaust survivor, a rabbi and a child – were senselessly murdered while celebrating the first night of Chanukah, the Festival of Light.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
14 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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Yet, like Bessette’s relationship with the Kennedy family scion, her eternity band is shrouded in mystery—imperfectly recorded through rumors, second-hand accounts, and myths invented by the press and populace.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
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While Julia-Roberts-as-Liz-Gilbert’s story ended, Liz-Gilbert-as-Liz-Gilbert is still moving ahead, honestly and imperfectly.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Governor Newsom has been insufficiently aggressive on AI regulation despite his wife’s advocacy for child safety protections, instead maintaining a cautious approach that reflects long-standing ties to the technology industry rather than working-class interests.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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In the past year at UF, the GOP’s push to eliminate academic leaders seen as insufficiently hostile to left-leaning academics effectively derailed the hiring of a new president and multiple college dean searches.—
Garrett Shanley Herald,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Issues such as menopause and perimenopause, endometriosis and Alzheimer’s disease — conditions that exclusively or disproportionately affect women — remain inadequately studied.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2026
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Scally had already struggled after dealing inadequately with a cross, which let the high-flying visitors score their first.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pointlessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pointlessly. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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