going/getting nowhere fast

1 of 2

phrase (1)

informal
: failing to make progress or to produce a desired result
The plan for a new stadium is going nowhere fast.

go nowhere

2 of 2

phrase (2)

: to make no progress
The research is going nowhere.
We're going nowhere fast.

Examples of going/getting nowhere fast in a Sentence

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.
Phrase
In addition to serving primarily as filler in a film perpetually going nowhere fast, none of these elements is well-designed or shot. — Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026 New Orleans is in last place in the West at 3-19 and going nowhere fast, as Zion Williamson is out for at least the next several weeks with a leg injury. — Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Phrase
Jeff Bailey left Yorba Linda for Beverly Hills, which can go nowhere but up. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Younger daters grew up with dating apps already in existence—unlike millennials and Gen X who had to get used to them—but researchers say they are increasingly frustrated by endless choices and conversations that go nowhere. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for going/getting nowhere fast

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Cite this Entry

“Going/getting nowhere fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/going%2Fgetting%20nowhere%20fast. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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