1
as in creative
having a role in deciding something's final form
contributed several productive ideas to the project
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prolific
producing abundantly
overfishing has depleted the stock of fish in these waters, which were once so productive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in efficient
producing or capable of producing a desired result
panicking during a crisis is not productive behavior
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of productive
Silva will need to be more productive on both ends and use her 6-7 frame to be a difference-maker.
—
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Running backs took the biggest hit because their most productive years are their earliest — the point at which the CBA stripped their bargaining power.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Detroit moved on from veteran running back David Montgomery, trading him to the Houston Texans and officially ending one of the NFL’s most productive backfield tandems.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Plenty of other productive ideas are available.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for productive
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Running backs took the biggest hit because their most productive years are their earliest — the point at which the CBA stripped their bargaining power.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Detroit moved on from veteran running back David Montgomery, trading him to the Houston Texans and officially ending one of the NFL’s most productive backfield tandems.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Plenty of other productive ideas are available.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for productive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for productive
Adjective
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The home here is a ramshackle London town house where a famed painter, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), is spending his final years in a haze of creative stagnation and lingering renown.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Invest wisely, and honor your creative joy.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But its influence was clear when the Chinese state, the most prolific builder of urban infrastructure in modern history, twice turned Yu’s arguments into policy.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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One of the world's most prolific serial killers, Bundy confessed to murdering at least 30 women and young girls between 1974 and 1978, and investigators suspect that there may be many more victims, as the extent of his crimes (which also included rape and kidnapping) isn't fully known.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The service Service is efficient, with the infrastructure to support a resort of this scale.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Wacha was efficient in the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Benjamin Lohr, Asia funds partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, struck a similarly constructive tone.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
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So, yes, an open, constructive two-way dialogue.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This hybridization resulted in Bradford producing fertile fruit through cross-pollination from other cultivars.—
Campbell Vaughn,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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The rolling hills near Nebo, Illinois, contain more than 1,200 acres of fertile mushroom ground.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Gabapentin has proved effective at helping some mastectomy patients with stubborn pain, while others have responded to electrodes implanted in their spinal column, according to the Baylor study, published in 2024.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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While these methods remain effective, excessive tilling can break down soil aggregates into smaller particles, reducing soil health and increasing erosion risk.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Surprisingly, there are a few dresses worn by society figures of a bygone age when Denver was an up-and-coming metropolis, made rich by mining and the westward expansion of American culture.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
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Eventually, rich and liberal Harvard joined the cost-cutting trend.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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If the novel concerned only these elements—the clash of cultures in a small town, the thrill of the landscape beyond it—readers would still turn the last page with a fruitful, even nourishing, sense of disorientation.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Some of his most fruitful contacts, the ambassador told me, are local mayors.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Productive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/productive. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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