1
: a person who reserves space (as on an airplane) but neither uses nor cancels the reservation
2
: a person who buys a ticket but does not attend
broadly
: a person who is expected but who does not show up
3
: failure to show up
: of, relating to, or being a job for which the holder is paid but performs few duties or is rarely present for work
Examples of no-show in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jonathan Dienst, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
These slip-ons have a supportive block heel and pair perfectly with your favorite pair of tights or no-show socks.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 8 Nov. 2023
Andrea Cardenas was a no-show at the Friday meeting of the San Diego Association of Governments, the regional planning agency known as SANDAG.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2023
Zack de la Rocha, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk were no-shows who’ve made no public comments about the honor, linking them to the ultimate Rock Hall silent hater, Mark Knopfler.
—Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
With just about a week until the NBA season begins, the 10-time All-Star was a no-show at Philadelphia 76ers practice on Wednesday.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2023
Financial penalties would be possible for no-shows or those who cancel on short notice.
—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2023
For Xi to be a no-show, coming on the heels of his G-20 absence and ducking out of a speech at a summit of developing nations in August, would be a poor look, said Danny Russel, a former White House Asia aide in the Obama administration.
—Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
Here’s what happened when seven other GOP candidates faced off:
Trump took fire for being a no-show, but his opponents didn’t highlight his biggest vulnerabilities
Advertisement
Trump skipped the debate and is not likely to lose his commanding lead in Republican primary polls.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Orlando Sentinel Podcasts, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2023
The concept of the no-show summer job was common knowledge at least as far back as the 1950s.
—Bob Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
While the Toronto native’s no-show did elicit some boos of disappointment, what artist and presenter Tyler Shaw had to say next turned the response to claps.
—Karen Bliss, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023
At the same time, the Rogers Place arena in Edmonton rang with boos when the popular Canadian artist was a no-show at the Junos to accept his album of the year trophy.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2023
There was confusion when representatives for the company were a no-show at its arraignment at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.
—CBS News, 8 Mar. 2023
The losses, and a no-show by its new generation of armored vehicles, prove Russia is incapable of sustaining its war in the long term.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2023
And that starts with these 15 best no-show socks ahead.
—Gaby Keiderling, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Mar. 2023
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Noun
The defendants are accused of helping one another to various benefits in the form of no-show jobs that brought pay and union benefits, officials said.
—Jonathan Dienst, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
These slip-ons have a supportive block heel and pair perfectly with your favorite pair of tights or no-show socks.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 8 Nov. 2023
Andrea Cardenas was a no-show at the Friday meeting of the San Diego Association of Governments, the regional planning agency known as SANDAG.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2023
Zack de la Rocha, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk were no-shows who’ve made no public comments about the honor, linking them to the ultimate Rock Hall silent hater, Mark Knopfler.
—Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
With just about a week until the NBA season begins, the 10-time All-Star was a no-show at Philadelphia 76ers practice on Wednesday.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2023
Financial penalties would be possible for no-shows or those who cancel on short notice.
—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2023
For Xi to be a no-show, coming on the heels of his G-20 absence and ducking out of a speech at a summit of developing nations in August, would be a poor look, said Danny Russel, a former White House Asia aide in the Obama administration.
—Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
Here’s what happened when seven other GOP candidates faced off:
Trump took fire for being a no-show, but his opponents didn’t highlight his biggest vulnerabilities
Advertisement
Trump skipped the debate and is not likely to lose his commanding lead in Republican primary polls.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Adjective
After ending their season with an NIT no-show against UCF, the Gators face a roster makeover and push to become one of the next quick turnarounds in college basketball.
—Orlando Sentinel Podcasts, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2023
The concept of the no-show summer job was common knowledge at least as far back as the 1950s.
—Bob Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
While the Toronto native’s no-show did elicit some boos of disappointment, what artist and presenter Tyler Shaw had to say next turned the response to claps.
—Karen Bliss, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023
At the same time, the Rogers Place arena in Edmonton rang with boos when the popular Canadian artist was a no-show at the Junos to accept his album of the year trophy.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2023
There was confusion when representatives for the company were a no-show at its arraignment at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.
—CBS News, 8 Mar. 2023
The losses, and a no-show by its new generation of armored vehicles, prove Russia is incapable of sustaining its war in the long term.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2023
And that starts with these 15 best no-show socks ahead.
—Gaby Keiderling, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'no-show.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near no-show
Cite this Entry
“No-show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/no-show. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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