nonstarter

noun

non·​start·​er ˌnän-ˈstär-tər How to pronounce nonstarter (audio)
1
: one that does not start
2
: someone or something that is not productive or effective
his son has been, in politics a nonstarterAnthony Lejeune

Examples of nonstarter in a Sentence

She's the leading scorer among the team's nonstarters.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ten hard-line members of Israel’s parliament sent a letter to Netanyahu expressing their opposition to a deal that does not allow Israeli soldiers to maintain a presence in strategic parts of the Gaza Strip, which has previously been a nonstarter for Hamas. Victoria Eastwood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025 Yet there’s one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024 House Republicans began seriously discussing their opening salvo in the spending negotiations last week, with a plan to push for a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through March 28, while attaching a non-citizen voting bill that Democrats generally see as a nonstarter. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2024 Media mogul John Malone recently told MoffettNathanson analysts that some deals are a nonstarter with this current Justice Department, including mergers between companies in the telecommunications and cable broadband space. Hugh Son, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nonstarter 

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonstarter was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near nonstarter

Cite this Entry

“Nonstarter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonstarter. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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