nonstarter
noun
non·start·er
ˌnän-ˈstär-tər 
1
: one that does not start
2
: someone or something that is not productive or effective
his son has been, in politics a nonstarter—
Anthony Lejeune
Anthony LejeuneExamples of nonstarter in a Sentence
She's the leading scorer among the team's nonstarters.
Recent Examples on the Web
From low-light lenses that increase your ability to see bumps and snow variability, to darker lenses that prevent eye strain on bright days, skiing without goggles is a nonstarter for me.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2025
Any suggestion that Ukraine would become a formal member of the alliance is likely to be a nonstarter for the Russian leader.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Some are migrating to Instagram Reels — the TikTok knockoff that Meta launched as a competitor in 2020 — though many TikTok purists treat that option as a nonstarter.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
Given the current anti-immigration mood, revising the Refugee Convention to expand access and protection to a greater number of people is a political nonstarter.
—Amy Pope, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
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Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2025
Any suggestion that Ukraine would become a formal member of the alliance is likely to be a nonstarter for the Russian leader.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Some are migrating to Instagram Reels — the TikTok knockoff that Meta launched as a competitor in 2020 — though many TikTok purists treat that option as a nonstarter.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
Given the current anti-immigration mood, revising the Refugee Convention to expand access and protection to a greater number of people is a political nonstarter.
—Amy Pope, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nonstarter
Dictionary Entries Near nonstarter
Cite this Entry
“Nonstarter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonstarter. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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