defeat the purpose of
idiom
: to make (something) pointless
It would defeat the purpose of having a nice car if you never got to drive it.
Examples of defeat the purpose of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The best place for an important document like a passport would be in a vault in your home, but that would defeat the purpose of a passport.
—
Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Williams, the public advocate, said in the rotunda that excluding Level 1 interactions would also defeat the purpose of the bill.
—Michael Gartland, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2024
Trapping water would defeat the purpose of filling the cracks to seal them.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Plugging the gap between the flashing and the window trim or lower panel would trap moisture and defeat the purpose of the flashing.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for defeat the purpose of 
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.
Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Williams, the public advocate, said in the rotunda that excluding Level 1 interactions would also defeat the purpose of the bill.
—Michael Gartland, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2024
Trapping water would defeat the purpose of filling the cracks to seal them.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Plugging the gap between the flashing and the window trim or lower panel would trap moisture and defeat the purpose of the flashing.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for defeat the purpose of
Dictionary Entries Near defeat the purpose of
Cite this Entry
“Defeat the purpose of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defeat%20the%20purpose%20of. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share