1
as in applicable
capable of being put to use or account
useful suggestions for limiting the amount of food we eat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in available
capable of or suitable for being used for a particular purpose
I've found this tool really useful for making sure all my pictures are hung straight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in helpful
providing service or assistance
hopefully, the consultant's financial advice will prove useful in planning for our retirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of useful
Hurricane Otis in 2023 Microwave data are also extremely useful in locating the center of weaker storms.
—
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 June 2025
But sunlight is a mix of electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, and some of this radiation is not so useful to life; in particular, ultraviolet light.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 26 June 2025
Anyone with information that could be useful to the investigation is asked to contact Manchester Det.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025
Most of it is found in the Earth’s crust, where it is mined and concentrated to increase the amount of its most useful radioactive form, uranium-235.
—André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for useful
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 June 2025
But sunlight is a mix of electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, and some of this radiation is not so useful to life; in particular, ultraviolet light.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 26 June 2025
Anyone with information that could be useful to the investigation is asked to contact Manchester Det.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025
Most of it is found in the Earth’s crust, where it is mined and concentrated to increase the amount of its most useful radioactive form, uranium-235.
—André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for useful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useful
Adjective
-
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in May that Trump is abiding by all applicable conflict-of-interest laws.—
Kelsey Walsh,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
-
Dealing with rage wouldn’t seem the term most applicable to Estévez, who is as amiable and animated as anyone in the Royals’ clubhouse and radiates a room-energizing presence.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Discovery representatives declined to make executives available.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
-
In a time when the suffering and seemingly hopeless prospects of America’s poor are known to all who have eyes to see, the only fig leaf available to hide the obscenity of this bill is the old partisan charge of waste, fraud and abuse.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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Here’s where a large mirror display can be helpful in an open floor space: to set off a bar.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
-
Also, cell phone chargers for automobiles can be helpful after the storm.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Sierra Designs recently updated their award-winning Mobile Mummy, a practical and comfortable wearable sleeping bag originally released in 2014.—
Wendy Altschuler,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Today’s Canadian nationalism, by contrast, arises from darker and more practical concerns.—
Stephen Marche,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Our bodies are immensely complex – very sophisticated machines with literally dozens of functional systems put together in a unified whole.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Has Honda finally launched its first fully functional electric motorcycle?—
Utkarsh Sood
June 29,
New Atlas,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Both experts say that dry brushing, the physical exfoliant that sloughs away dead skin cells, can be beneficial to keeping strawberry legs at bay.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
-
Earlier research from 2013 also highlighted video games' ability to enhance problem-solving skills, suggesting video games are more beneficial to cognitive development than previously thought.—
George Toh,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
That’s where the distinction between applied and contextual AI becomes critical.—
ByTheodore Krantz Jr,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
At the time, most basic and applied research was done by the military.—
Paul Bierman,
The Conversation,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
At the very top, an attic bedroom opens up with operable roof panels that invite the sky, sunlight, and breeze into the sleeping quarters.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
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Basic amenities, like operable equipment and clean locker rooms, seem increasingly hard to come by, and crowds at peak times — often just before or after 9-to-5 working hours — can deter even the most motivated of fitness fanatics.—
Josh Ocampo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useful. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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