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
The latter is a nonstarter, given that Baker is a passionate defender of cinemas.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Johnson and all 50 aldermen are up for reelection less than a year from now, likely making the prospect of hiking property taxes and other politically unpopular moves to balance the 2027 budget nonstarters.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
If Democrats take control, massive defensive spending could be a political nonstarter, especially as Trump looks to cut social programs to partly offset hikes elsewhere.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The prospect of entering another war in Asia with Iran—five times the size of Vietnam— was a nonstarter, even amid the 444 agonizing days when Iran held 52 Americans as hostages.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
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Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Johnson and all 50 aldermen are up for reelection less than a year from now, likely making the prospect of hiking property taxes and other politically unpopular moves to balance the 2027 budget nonstarters.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
If Democrats take control, massive defensive spending could be a political nonstarter, especially as Trump looks to cut social programs to partly offset hikes elsewhere.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The prospect of entering another war in Asia with Iran—five times the size of Vietnam— was a nonstarter, even amid the 444 agonizing days when Iran held 52 Americans as hostages.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 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 25 Apr. 2026.
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