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
The pandemic gave them the space and time to develop semi-couture line Judassime, with a first collection revealed in 2021, one day before the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ traditional annual student fashion showcase as a tongue-in-cheek nod to their unsuccessful applications.
—
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Attempts to reach Daniel's Vineyard for comment were unsuccessful prior to the publication of this article.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
The point-after kick was unsuccessful, leaving Corona del Mar with a 21-6 halftime lead.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
Conservatives like Schlafly, unsuccessful in their early 80’s boycott, had their first taste of activist success on the airwaves.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Attempts to reach Daniel's Vineyard for comment were unsuccessful prior to the publication of this article.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
The point-after kick was unsuccessful, leaving Corona del Mar with a 21-6 halftime lead.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
Conservatives like Schlafly, unsuccessful in their early 80’s boycott, had their first taste of activist success on the airwaves.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
-
The rest of the industry wants to emulate this success, but as many editors know, chasing a trend can be a futile endeavor.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
-
At least one company ended the workday early, figuring any attempts to get employees back on track would be futile.—
Kristen Parisi,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But having 10 power play opportunities also made the game somewhat useless.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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With her charger useless and the screen showing a dangerously low percentage, the reality sank in.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releases in recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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Our main girl, Diva, is a diva down, forced into abortive encounters with the A.I. that stands, literally, between the goods and services supportive of her everyday life.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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