pointlessly

adverb

as in senselessly

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pointlessly These conflicts may only occasionally draw in American military forces, but the chaos will consistently demand attention and pointlessly consume resources. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Don’t be pointlessly inscrutable. — Kim Scott, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026 But Senate Democrats in recent months have perfected the strategy of pointlessly running this tactic into the ground. — Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026 Matvei Michkov, rather than sensing the developing danger, pointlessly floated around at the top of the Flyers’ defensive zone. — Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 The kitchen is also pointlessly complicated. — Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026 Trump should ask himself whether stirring a hornet’s nest serves any purpose other than pointlessly alienating a benevolent neighbor that is beginning to pad its insurance policy by reaching out to non-hemispheric powers. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026 My partner’s refusal to be comforted by this institutional food struck me sometimes as pointlessly obstructive and at other times as a sign of self-respect. — Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025 Few endeavors could signal virtue as pointlessly or gratuitously. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pointlessly
  1. senselessly
  2. irrelevantly
  3. imperfectly
  4. insufficiently
  5. inadequately
Adverb
  • But Jameson is hardly the first family pet to senselessly perish at the hands of law enforcement officers who resort to deadly force far too quickly.
    — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026
  • All the bad and all the good are gone, senselessly ripped away from them.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Definition of senselessly
Adverb
  • Grandma, irrelevantly but convincingly, spoke of wars, blizzards and trekking barefoot to school.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of irrelevantly
Adverb
  • The department exists to preserve some semblance of equal justice in the United States — imperfectly, haltingly, often overbearingly for some and cautiously for others — and help ensure that the nation is governed by the rule of law.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than suffering because leaders acted imperfectly, organizations often suffer because leaders waited too long to act at all.
    — Irma Becerra, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of imperfectly
Adverb
  • The government may not decide that Church teaching is insufficiently religious, insufficiently consistent with Catholic doctrine, or insufficiently compelling to justify an ecclesiastical policy.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The order also authorizes the Justice Department to challenge state vaccine regulations deemed insufficiently respectful of parental objections.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of insufficiently
Adverb
  • Last year Lee was questioned by legislators after the audit found staffing shortages and process failures had left thousands of cases inadequately investigated, including serious injuries and deaths.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Around the world, most caregivers are either uncompensated or inadequately compensated, and many rely on public assistance where available to make ends meet.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of inadequately

Browse Nearby Words

pointless
pointlessly
pointlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Pointlessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pointlessly. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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