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
Statements like that are a nonstarter for community leaders like Rabbi Joe Black of Denver’s Temple Emanuel.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 9 June 2024
That is by definition a nonstarter for any negotiation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 7 June 2024
Agreeing to that upfront is almost certainly a nonstarter for Israel.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 8 May 2024
It is centered around a few Democratic representatives who have mooted support for elimination of Israel and replacement by a binational state that would eventually have a Muslim Palestinian majority; this would smother Jewish Palestinians by sheer numbers and is a nonstarter for obvious reasons.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nonstarter 
Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 9 June 2024
That is by definition a nonstarter for any negotiation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 7 June 2024
Agreeing to that upfront is almost certainly a nonstarter for Israel.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 8 May 2024
It is centered around a few Democratic representatives who have mooted support for elimination of Israel and replacement by a binational state that would eventually have a Muslim Palestinian majority; this would smother Jewish Palestinians by sheer numbers and is a nonstarter for obvious reasons.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nonstarter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonstarter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nonstarter
Cite this Entry
“Nonstarter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonstarter. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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