as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
harsh disciplinary measures that prove to be counterproductive
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Recent Examples of counterproductive
However foolhardy, counterproductive and costly, cities have a right to challenge state laws.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
The National Coalition for Child Protection Reform has called it discriminatory and counterproductive.
—James R Mason, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Law enforcement experts also seized on Patel’s comments on conservative commentator Sean Hannity’s podcast as counterproductive.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
But some who attended Starmer’s speech said kicking out the man who led them to victory in 2024 would be counterproductive.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterproductive
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
The National Coalition for Child Protection Reform has called it discriminatory and counterproductive.
—James R Mason, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Law enforcement experts also seized on Patel’s comments on conservative commentator Sean Hannity’s podcast as counterproductive.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
But some who attended Starmer’s speech said kicking out the man who led them to victory in 2024 would be counterproductive.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterproductive
Adjective
-
Attempts to interview him were unsuccessful.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Trump has denied Carroll’s allegations against him and tried to appeal both verdicts but has been unsuccessful in both cases, putting him on the verge of having to pay out millions.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The reason for this decision may be how the rapid buildout of Colossus incorporated a mix of different Nvidia GPU chips that was very inefficient for AI training workloads, according to reporting by Tom’s Hardware.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
21 May 2026
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Modern classical algorithms use other methods but remain inefficient because the execution time increases exponentially with the size of the number to be factored.—
Zeeya Merali,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Colorado’s power play was still ineffective, with Hart pouncing on Kadri’s shot from the right circle on the only real scoring chance.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
Vinegar baths are similarly ineffective.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterproductive. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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