no-win

adjective

ˈnō-ˈwin How to pronounce no-win (audio)
-ˌwin
: not likely to give victory, success, or satisfaction : that cannot be won
a no-win situation
a no-win war

Examples of no-win in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The disclosure of the documents seemed to leave Mr. DeSantis in something of a no-win situation. Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023 The indictment of Trump in the documents case represented a no-win decision for Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed the special counsel and allowed the charges to go forward. Dan Balz, Ann E. Marimow, Perry Stein, Anchorage Daily News, 17 June 2023 Some legal scholars have already pointed out that the debt ceiling’s existence amounts to a constitutional no-win scenario for a president. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 24 May 2023 There’s an infectious quality to these young explorers’ optimism in the face of the seemingly no-win situation into which most of them were born. Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023 First Republic Bank crisis plunges Biden team back into no-win political dilemma While those who had more than $250,000 in their accounts were likely wealthy individuals, most were likely businesses that often need that much cash just to cover daily operating costs. Chris Isidore, CNN, 1 May 2023 However, the fiscal realities, downward enrollment trends, the pandemic, the need for more resources and the mounting operational and facility challenges presented a no-win situation. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2023 After a yearlong campaign to tame prices, the central bank now faces a no-win situation: Annual inflation is at 6%, triple what the Fed considers to be healthy. Allison Morrow, CNN, 14 Mar. 2023 More:Is Kevin Durant in a no-win situation with the Phoenix Suns? Suns vs. Thunder tickets on TicketSmarter The least expensive tickets were listed for $199, with fees, on this site, as of Monday. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'no-win.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of no-win was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near no-win

Cite this Entry

“No-win.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/no-win. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.

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