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
Several of those provisions have long been considered nonstarters for Iran, which sees its missile arsenal and regional alliances as central to national security.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
That may be a nonstarter for the United States.
—Dan Mangan,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Consumers are fed up, and raising prices is a nonstarter for America’s retailers.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Using any Illinois taxpayer money to support this should be a nonstarter.
—Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
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Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
That may be a nonstarter for the United States.
—Dan Mangan,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Consumers are fed up, and raising prices is a nonstarter for America’s retailers.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Using any Illinois taxpayer money to support this should be a nonstarter.
—Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 18 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 4 Apr. 2026.
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