1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
this argument is totally fruitless, as neither of us will change our position
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
not able to produce fruit or offspring
a stand of blighted, fruitless trees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fruitless
Precious Achiuwa’s minutes have been few, far-between and largely fruitless in the playoffs.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
If Richardson can’t retain the starting job over Jones, who was jettisoned by the New York Giants and is 3-13 in his last 16 starts, then a miss that big on a pick that high could spell the end of Ballard’s largely fruitless nine-year tenure in Indianapolis.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
The same Georgia committee has been pursuing a thus-far fruitless investigation of another Trump enemy, Fulton County Dist.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
The efforts of police, private investigators and the FBI proved fruitless.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
If Richardson can’t retain the starting job over Jones, who was jettisoned by the New York Giants and is 3-13 in his last 16 starts, then a miss that big on a pick that high could spell the end of Ballard’s largely fruitless nine-year tenure in Indianapolis.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
The same Georgia committee has been pursuing a thus-far fruitless investigation of another Trump enemy, Fulton County Dist.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
The efforts of police, private investigators and the FBI proved fruitless.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
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One game after the Oilers were unsuccessful in challenging that Bennett interfered with Stuart Skinner during the game’s first goal, Bennett toppled over Skinner after getting contact from Ekholm later in the period.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
-
Efforts to reach Suncor officials for this story were unsuccessful.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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The festival was deliberately planned for the barren weeks in June after college students left and before the summer concert and festival season kicked in.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
25 May 2025
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The Bureau’s new research station on Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, with its high altitude and barren landscape, would prove to be the ideal collection spot.—
Ashley Braun,
Smithsonian Magazine,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Cutting spending wasted on a futile pursuit of a global empire is not just a fiscal necessity.—
Ron Paul,
Oc Register,
20 May 2025
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Desperate Steve Kerr frequently toggled his non-Draymond Green big men as late as the second round of the playoffs in a futile effort to contain the giants of the Minnesota Timberwolves around the rim.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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This means that any lander to set down, even briefly, on one of these moons would have to be completely sterile.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 May 2025
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The rest of the film largely unfolds in sterile, windowless courtrooms as the terms of the clearly unethical (if apparently standard) agreement are reexamined, and the pressures of the trial strain the young couple’s relationship.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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And beyond… Generalizations can be either good or bad, useful or useless.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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The character who can go through walls is useless, because beyond the walls is nothing but dirt.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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From Sonos’ side, this could just be a logical conclusion to a somewhat unfruitful partnership with mid-tier products that the brand itself increasingly competes directly with.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
7 May 2025
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But his administration’s efforts, so far, have been unfruitful.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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