all for naught

idiom

old-fashioned, US
: all for nothing

Examples of all for naught in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But the comeback was all for naught, as the Blue Jackets won Game 5 on Sunday, advancing to their first-round matchup with the Lightning. Aria Gerson, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2020 Booker's consecutive 30-point performance would’ve been all for naught had his teammates not come through down the stretch of Monday night's 118-110 win to snap New York’s nine-game winning streak. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2021 Early manufacturing would be all for naught if the vaccines could not be distributed due to the typical sclerotic bureaucracy of the federal government and therefore required a logistics expert to lead the effort. Alicia Smith, Washington Examiner, 21 Jan. 2021 The effort may be all for naught: Absent some magic shift in economic fortunes, voters are likely to punish the party anyway. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2022 Skubal's fury was all for naught, however, as the Tigers rallied for a 4-3 walk-off victory (and a victory in the three-game series) over the San Diego Padres at Comerica Park. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 27 July 2022 Treats, decoy boxes and toys have been used, all for naught. Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2022 Unfortunately, Che and Miranda’s (poor) attempts to keep things quiet so Carrie doesn’t wake up are all for naught. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2021 Nothing but net, and the brewing Husky comeback was all for naught. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 2023

Dictionary Entries Near all for naught

Cite this Entry

“All for naught.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all%20for%20naught. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!