toothless

adjective

tooth·​less ˈtüth-ləs How to pronounce toothless (audio)
1
: having no teeth
2
a
: lacking in sharpness or bite
spoke in toothless generalitiesArthur Hepner
b
: lacking in means of enforcement or coercion : ineffectual

Examples of toothless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
From our review: Khan’s lack of screen presence, toothless mixed martial arts sequences and unintelligible editing further knock the film down. The New York Times, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 In the wake of the war in Ukraine, trade between the U.S. and Russia plummeted to the lowest levels since the fall of the Soviet Union -- making Trump's threat of tariffs mostly toothless. ABC News, 25 Jan. 2025 And, of course, if an off-brand browser is present on the Mac, the content filter is toothless. PCMAG, 17 Mar. 2025 The long-tail effect of all this is to make Quinn and all his many lackeys seem as toothless a threat as Zachary Beck is. Chris Klimek, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for toothless

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of toothless was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Toothless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothless. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

toothless

adjective
tooth·​less ˈtüth-ləs How to pronounce toothless (audio)
: having no teeth

More from Merriam-Webster on toothless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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