become useless

In the years after Donald Trump lost the presidency to Joe Biden, Trump sent so many emails and text messages asking for money that Republican consultants warned his mailing lists could become useless.

Abel wished that its feathers would turn to lead so it could fall on its head from the world’s tallest tree, that its beak would rot and become useless even for eating mush, that it should be blind as a bat and fly into a dragon’s flaming mouth, that it should sink in quicksand mixed with broken bottles, very slowly, to prolong its suffering, and much more of the same sort.

But a version of TikTok without its classic algorithm might quickly become useless to users and worthless to investors.

Asked what he would do next, he said: “Planning anything has become useless and pointless,” adding, “The situation keeps exceeding our previous predictions” of how much worse it can get.

Or, a levee that protects a major town and prison — such as the Corcoran levee — could become useless if it sinks an additional 5 feet.