as in unsuccessful
producing no results
an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 abortive
Despite being hurt by a number of abortive early stabs at voice recognition in decades gone by, voice recognition when done well can actually provide a uniquely direct way of accessing content and features on modern TVs.
—
John Archer, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
The military establishment was especially sensitive to criticism at the time – less than a month after the abortive revolt by Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
—Katharina Krebs, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
Trump hosts Ireland head of government Micheal Martin Although Democrats beat expectations in the midterm elections two years earlier, Biden headed into his abortive reelection bid with low job approval ratings.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
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.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for abortive
John Archer, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
The military establishment was especially sensitive to criticism at the time – less than a month after the abortive revolt by Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
—Katharina Krebs, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
Trump hosts Ireland head of government Micheal Martin Although Democrats beat expectations in the midterm elections two years earlier, Biden headed into his abortive reelection bid with low job approval ratings.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
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.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for abortive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abortive
Adjective
-
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
Although a request for proposals for a new company to run the facility drew interest from at least two companies, neither ended up completing the process to submit a proposal and efforts to reach out to other companies have so far been unsuccessful, Hyde said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abortive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abortive. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share