Captain Bryant had finally lost patience with him after a fruitless hour in the barracks, which they'd spent arguing.

But others said they had spent fruitless hours going to and from police stations to seek information.

After a fruitless hour I decided to go on the stick.

She could not recall how many fruitless hours she had frittered away trying to peer through his.

We spent several fruitless hours in search of data.

They waited a long fruitless hour during which nothing changed.

He never had much trouble drifting off, but he'd soon jerk awake and spend fruitless hours fighting to go back to sleep.

The negotiations went nowhere, and after a few fruitless hours Lyon made his famous declaration, "this means war!"

Many ardent, fruitless hours were spent trying to convert neighborhood children to her interests.

Nevertheless, we spent two fruitless hours until another safari vehicle came and pulled us out.