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
Republicans made clear that some of the Democratic demands were nonstarters.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
That was a nonstarter, and from that point forward, Pritzker kept an arms-length distance from the Bears stadium search.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Menin has also said that a property tax hike is a nonstarter.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
The latter is a nonstarter for William, who blames the Army, especially Captain Ezekiel Richardson, for Jane’s death.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonstarter
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Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
That was a nonstarter, and from that point forward, Pritzker kept an arms-length distance from the Bears stadium search.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Menin has also said that a property tax hike is a nonstarter.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
The latter is a nonstarter for William, who blames the Army, especially Captain Ezekiel Richardson, for Jane’s death.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonstarter
Cite this Entry
“Nonstarter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonstarter. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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