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
Prior to his tenure as the agency’s acting leader last year, Hamilton briefly served as the Associate Administrator of the Office of Response and Recovery at FEMA following an unsuccessful run for Congress in Virginia in 2024.
—
Connor Greene, Time, 12 May 2026
Lifeguards pulled both of them out and administered CPR, but were unsuccessful.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Seven years later, and after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
Attempts to reach family members of the victims for more information were unsuccessful.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Connor Greene, Time, 12 May 2026
Lifeguards pulled both of them out and administered CPR, but were unsuccessful.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Seven years later, and after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
Attempts to reach family members of the victims for more information were unsuccessful.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
-
But this story has a happier, less futile ending.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
To complain about cramps was futile.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
In other words, Greg had thought insomnia a problem of the rich, the weak, the useless, the indulgent, the lazy.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
But those GPUs are useless without the memory chips stacked alongside them, and Samsung’s three fabrication complexes in South Korea are among the most important pieces of the AI industrial boom.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
The move fizzled and Herbst stayed put, but the abortive removal attempt has lingered like a dark cloud ever since.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
5 May 2026
-
Six of the album’s tracks began in abortive sessions in the 2010s with Patti Smith Group bassist Tony Shanahan.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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