as in futile
producing no results
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
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Recent Examples of unsuccessful
Throughout the assault, a single shot was fired into Offset's leg before an unsuccessful attempt to remove the rapper's watch, the statement said.
—
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Back in the Nineties, Pearl Jam famously sued Ticketmaster in an unsuccessful effort to rein in the runaway costs of attending a concert.
—Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026
In addition, the FBI said that the people then tried to steal Offset's watch, but were unsuccessful.
—Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Efforts to reach the church Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Back in the Nineties, Pearl Jam famously sued Ticketmaster in an unsuccessful effort to rein in the runaway costs of attending a concert.
—Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026
In addition, the FBI said that the people then tried to steal Offset's watch, but were unsuccessful.
—Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Efforts to reach the church Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
-
Tackling plant problems at the wrong time in a plant’s or insect’s life cycle can be futile and environmentally harmful.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here.—
Dale Robertson,
Houston Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of being an anchoring penultimate episode, the entire display felt useless and confusing, as if the audience was suddenly watching an entirely different television program.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In my tests, the feature was almost completely useless.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Google’s Tripartite Advantage Google has been more successful than Meta in fintech due to a strategic focus on utility, infrastructure, and user trust, whereas Mark Zuckerberg’s firm has struggled with trust issues and regulatory hurdles, particularly with the abortive Diem project.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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