1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
an ineffective effort to reduce unemployment that only spurred inflation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
an ineffective medication that will be denied FDA approval
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffective
The death penalty is a cruel and irreversible punishment that is racially biased, and ineffective as a deterrent.
—
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Even anonymous surveys are ineffective in determining usable data regarding incestuous abuse.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025
The adults—the teachers, the cops—are overwhelmed, ineffective, dazed.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
But there’s little sense in safeguarding an ineffective K-12 status quo, particularly for students without wealth or social capital.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Even anonymous surveys are ineffective in determining usable data regarding incestuous abuse.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025
The adults—the teachers, the cops—are overwhelmed, ineffective, dazed.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
But there’s little sense in safeguarding an ineffective K-12 status quo, particularly for students without wealth or social capital.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffective
Adjective
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Last May, students barricaded themselves inside the building—after dedicating it to the famed Palestinian painter who died in 2024 following unsuccessful appeals for a medical evacuation from Gaza— amid a rising wave of pro-Palestine demonstrations on college campuses across the United States.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Nonetheless, Punk had two very unsuccessful, farcical moments in the Octagon, so there could be some credence to Paul’s thought that White wanted nothing else to do with a crossover fight from a WWE Superstar.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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However, these attempts are futile, and such baseless rumors will ultimately be consigned to the dustbin of history.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
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Impeachment is seen as a largely futile effort, given the near-zero chance that at least 14 Senate Democrats would join Republicans in convicting and removing any of the judges.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The first generation of Ukrainian fiber-optic FPVs was awkward and inefficient in design—and potentially too bulky to maneuver through a building.—
David Axe,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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In addition, export controls are inefficient, and inflation will follow if inexpensive goods from China suddenly are not as cheap.—
Nick Thomas,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Encryption serves as a critical line of defense by rendering intercepted data useless to unauthorized parties.—
Srikanth Bellamkonda,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Because of this, even areas that are just open fields between pockets of good whitetail habitat, or a stand of mature timber that’s largely useless at this time, might provide medium- to long-range travel routes.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Now, a new study may shed light on why consuming too much of the artificial sweetener sucralose could be counterproductive.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2025
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Fighting this foreign free riding is critically important -- but not all methods are equally effective, and some reforms under consideration may even be counterproductive.—
Tomas J. Philipson,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineffective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffective. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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