dead letter
noun
1
: something that has lost its force or authority without being formally abolished
2
: a letter that is undeliverable and unreturnable by the post office
Examples of dead letter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, to our peril, the Monroe Doctrine is becoming a dead letter.
—
Steve Forbes, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Among other films to see is Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s SXSW title Dead Mail, in which an ominous help note finds its way to a 1980s post office, connecting a dead letter investigator to a kidnapped keyboard technician.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024
Eurasianism and Slavophilism are mostly dead letters: the overwhelming majority of the world’s non-Russian Slavs joined or are clamoring to join the European Union and NATO.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Those have been turned into a dead letter by the Republic.
—Gregory Makoff, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead letter 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Steve Forbes, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Among other films to see is Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s SXSW title Dead Mail, in which an ominous help note finds its way to a 1980s post office, connecting a dead letter investigator to a kidnapped keyboard technician.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024
Eurasianism and Slavophilism are mostly dead letters: the overwhelming majority of the world’s non-Russian Slavs joined or are clamoring to join the European Union and NATO.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Those have been turned into a dead letter by the Republic.
—Gregory Makoff, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead letter
Dictionary Entries Near dead letter
Cite this Entry
“Dead letter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20letter. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share