as in futile
producing no results
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsuccessful
Efforts to communicate with MAVEN since then have been unsuccessful, according to an agency release, and NASA officials held a press briefing at today (June 3) to discuss the end of MAVEN's mission.
—
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Perez-Serrato has mounted multiple unsuccessful bids for office over the years, including as a recall candidate for governor in 2021.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
John McBride, 65, is pursuing the 9th Congressional District seat for the second time, following an unsuccessful run for the same position in 2024.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
In an unsuccessful lawsuit against OpenAI and its top executives, Elon Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, claimed the company diverted from its founding mission to make more money.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Perez-Serrato has mounted multiple unsuccessful bids for office over the years, including as a recall candidate for governor in 2021.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
John McBride, 65, is pursuing the 9th Congressional District seat for the second time, following an unsuccessful run for the same position in 2024.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
In an unsuccessful lawsuit against OpenAI and its top executives, Elon Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, claimed the company diverted from its founding mission to make more money.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
-
That was an appropriate response by Rockies fans when the Rockies mercifully moved on from futile general manager Bill Geivett and insufferable team president Greg Feasel.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
Any attempt to pin down the greatest men’s footballer is therefore futile at best and highly subjective at worst.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Radical approaches to what is precious and what is worthless—or appraisal—have always been more than the inversion of that which is useless made priceless, what was originally meant to be ephemeral made timeless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Radio waves are nearly useless beneath the surface.—
Omar Kardoudi
June 06,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 May 2026
-
Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it).—
Ilan Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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