as in futile
producing no results
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsuccessful
Attempts to reach James Mayfield and Matt Mayfield were unsuccessful.
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Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2024
Their rushed announcement created a media circus, and when hasty attempts to replicate their results were unsuccessful, the discrediting of their claims was rapid and vehement.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2024
After another attempt to extract him on the morning of Nov. 23 was also unsuccessful, the decision was made to amputate his leg to facilitate his rescue.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Multiple resuscitation attempts are unsuccessful, with the girl’s fate among two major cliffhangers in the finale.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful 
Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2024
Their rushed announcement created a media circus, and when hasty attempts to replicate their results were unsuccessful, the discrediting of their claims was rapid and vehement.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2024
After another attempt to extract him on the morning of Nov. 23 was also unsuccessful, the decision was made to amputate his leg to facilitate his rescue.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Multiple resuscitation attempts are unsuccessful, with the girl’s fate among two major cliffhangers in the finale.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
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This prospect seems likely because the ACLU is poised to pursue the case if the government drops out, making withdrawal by the new Trump administration potentially futile.Catherine Cole, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
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To them, closeness comes at a price: people leave, bonds break and what once felt safe eventually fades, making the effort feel futile.Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Close examination reveals the instructions to be almost useless.Billy Perrigo, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
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Non-Functioning Flush A toilet that won't flush is essentially useless—after all, the entire purpose of a toilet is to quickly and safely remove waste.Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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One is Eliot Spitzer, who during his abortive tenure as governor, knocked heads to get slow-mo insurers to pay the giant settlement that a court had awarded to Silverstein.Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024
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The picture arrives, of course, at a fallow time for Marvel after a string of duds and an abortive attempt to introduce a new superhero phase following the climactic, stage-clearing (and absurdly lucrative) battles of Avengers: Endgame.Zoe Guy, Vulture, 25 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unsuccessful
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
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