exercise in futility
noun phrase
: an activity that is not successful or worthwhile
The negotiations turned out to be an exercise in futility.
Examples of exercise in futility in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No matter how advantageous a tech tool may be for a business, if the end users (customers) aren’t benefitting, implementation of that tech is just an exercise in futility.
—
Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Ben’s efforts to keep himself alive in season three have mostly been an exercise in futility, even with allies like Natalie Scatorccio (Sophie Thatcher), who did her best to protect him from the team’s bloodthirst, and Misty, who mounted an impressive defense at his mock trial.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Trying to describe the film’s plot is an exercise in futility.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Any engagement with Republicans while President Donald Trump claims the power to rewrite spending at will is an exercise in futility, akin to drafting a contract with someone who declares their intent to rewrite the terms to their liking after signing.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Trying to stick wet surfaces together is an exercise in futility, as the water molecules form a barrier between the surface and molecules in the adhesive.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025
The goalkeeper’s dive to try to save it was a captivating exercise in futility.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Trump’s ability to dismiss or pardon Adams’s federal crimes would become an exercise in futility as the result of an indictment against Adams from the Manhattan DA for New York state crimes.
—Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Forbes contributor Lisa Bodell wrote in 2022 that the New Year’s Resolution is an exercise in futility because research shows that 80% of people give them up by February.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
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Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Ben’s efforts to keep himself alive in season three have mostly been an exercise in futility, even with allies like Natalie Scatorccio (Sophie Thatcher), who did her best to protect him from the team’s bloodthirst, and Misty, who mounted an impressive defense at his mock trial.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Trying to describe the film’s plot is an exercise in futility.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Any engagement with Republicans while President Donald Trump claims the power to rewrite spending at will is an exercise in futility, akin to drafting a contract with someone who declares their intent to rewrite the terms to their liking after signing.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Trying to stick wet surfaces together is an exercise in futility, as the water molecules form a barrier between the surface and molecules in the adhesive.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025
The goalkeeper’s dive to try to save it was a captivating exercise in futility.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Trump’s ability to dismiss or pardon Adams’s federal crimes would become an exercise in futility as the result of an indictment against Adams from the Manhattan DA for New York state crimes.
—Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Forbes contributor Lisa Bodell wrote in 2022 that the New Year’s Resolution is an exercise in futility because research shows that 80% of people give them up by February.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Exercise in futility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exercise%20in%20futility. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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