as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
harsh disciplinary measures that prove to be counterproductive
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Examples of counterproductive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On top of the massive potential for abuse of this blatantly unconstitutional proposal, such an effort would be counterproductive for public safety.
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Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024
Something clearly needs to change, but Southampton has bought into Martin’s style of play so much that changing strategies completely could be counterproductive, so the Saints needs Archer to start finding the target.
—Steve Price, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Diluting the Federal Reserve’s independence would be counterproductive, sending a signal to investors that the central bank would be more political and potentially more relaxed about inflation.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 8 Oct. 2024
Worse still, the interests behind the war on drugs—who are now pushing Prop. 36—have known for decades that criminalizing drug use is counterproductive.
—Salil Dudani, Orange County Register, 5 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterproductive 
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024
Something clearly needs to change, but Southampton has bought into Martin’s style of play so much that changing strategies completely could be counterproductive, so the Saints needs Archer to start finding the target.
—Steve Price, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Diluting the Federal Reserve’s independence would be counterproductive, sending a signal to investors that the central bank would be more political and potentially more relaxed about inflation.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 8 Oct. 2024
Worse still, the interests behind the war on drugs—who are now pushing Prop. 36—have known for decades that criminalizing drug use is counterproductive.
—Salil Dudani, Orange County Register, 5 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterproductive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterproductive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Counterproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterproductive. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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