futilely

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ondro likens his guilt-racked migrations to the story of Jonah, who tried futilely to run from God’s message to him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Fall River is one of those northern post-industrial cities that’s been futilely trying to reverse decline for decades, first by bulldozing historic neighborhoods to build highways, and now by constructing breweries and farmer’s markets.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

D’Angelo Russell, futilely attempting to compensate for last spring’s playoff debacle against Denver, doubled down on his struggles, shooting six for 20 from the field, including one for nine from three-point range.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2024

Some scampered futilely on the treadmill as they did so, but others remained still.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2023

Jack smiled at this, watching the regular birds futilely attempt to overwhelm their supernatural cousins.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley