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

Examples of nonstarter in a Sentence

She's the leading scorer among the team's nonstarters.

Recent Examples on the Web

During the June 2 talks in Istanbul, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators traded memorandums containing sharply divergent conditions that both sides see as nonstarters, making a quick deal unlikely. —Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025

But all of that is a nonstarter: The NCAA, conferences and colleges firmly oppose the recognition of college athletes as employees. 15) Will Congress save the day and pass federal college sports legislation? —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 June 2025

Last Sunday, the Kentucky senator indicated that a nonstarter for him is a $5 trillion debt ceiling hike included in the bill. —Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2025

But for him, the debt ceiling increase is a nonstarter. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 1 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nonstarter

• arter
• barter
• charter
• darter
• garter
• martyr
• smarter
• starter
• tartar