can't win
idiom
informal
—used to say that success is not possible for someone in a particular situation
I feel like I can't win. Nothing I do seems to make any difference.
You can't win when you're dealing with someone so unreasonable.
Examples of can't win in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another good, not great, not elite center who can't win faceoffs and maybe can score 20ish goals a year.
—
Michael Russo, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
That's probably a smart idea because if the biggest villain can't win House of Villains, there's definitely a flaw in the game somewhere.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Still can't win puck battles or break the puck out, same old story.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
The Seahawks, meanwhile, suddenly can't win at home.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
And Mark Robinson is not going to win this race, can't win this race.
—ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024
That includes adherents of the far-right QAnon movement, which Trump frequently boosts, and other loyalists who promote the false notion that Democrats can't win elections without cheating.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 Sep. 2024
Behind closed doors, however, two of the Senate's most endangered Democrats in the November, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), told their colleagues that Biden can't win November.
—Axios, 10 July 2024
Biden can't win without strong support from Black voters, experts say.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 17 June 2024
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Michael Russo, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
That's probably a smart idea because if the biggest villain can't win House of Villains, there's definitely a flaw in the game somewhere.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Still can't win puck battles or break the puck out, same old story.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
The Seahawks, meanwhile, suddenly can't win at home.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
And Mark Robinson is not going to win this race, can't win this race.
—ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024
That includes adherents of the far-right QAnon movement, which Trump frequently boosts, and other loyalists who promote the false notion that Democrats can't win elections without cheating.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 Sep. 2024
Behind closed doors, however, two of the Senate's most endangered Democrats in the November, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), told their colleagues that Biden can't win November.
—Axios, 10 July 2024
Biden can't win without strong support from Black voters, experts say.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 17 June 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Can't win.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/can%27t%20win. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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