needless

adjective

ˈnēd-ləs How to pronounce needless (audio)
Definition of needlessnext
as in unnecessary
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end needless expenditures that pushed the construction project way over budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 needless The guess here is that the team doesn’t want to create any needless friction if Pastrnak is chosen over McAvoy or vice versa. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Hennepin County’s top prosecutor calls the interstate clash over Castro’s transfer a needless test of states’ duty to honor extradition — and of whether federal agents can evade accountability. — Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 What had felt like needless perfectionism now looked like professionalism. — Mark Nevins, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 More pragmatic figures in the establishment accuse these hard-liners of upsetting the country’s social peace with needless political repression, and by seeking to micromanage the lifestyles of ordinary people. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for needless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needless
unnecessary
Adjective
  • Even with an unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth, Shelley made his reps count, making five tackles and breaking up a deep pass from Rams quarterback Ty Simpson intended for Tyler Scott.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That is true, but making costly and unnecessary wars harder to start belongs in the credit column, not the debit one.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unnecessary

Phrases Containing needless

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needles
needless
needless to say
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Cite this Entry

“Needless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needless. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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