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nowhere

1 of 3

adverb

no·​where ˈnō-ˌ(h)wer How to pronounce nowhere (audio)
-(h)wər
1
: not in or at any place
The book is nowhere to be found.
2
: to no place
I've gotten nowhere with my research.
Arguing will get us nowhere.
3
: not at all : not to the least extent
usually used with near
nowhere near as serious
nowhere near enough

nowhere

2 of 3

noun

1
: a nonexistent place
2
: an unknown, distant, or obscure place or state
rose to fame out of nowhere

nowhere

3 of 3

adjective

: of or relating to a remote or relatively unknown location
a nowhere town
Phrases
miles from nowhere
: in an extremely remote place

Examples of nowhere in a Sentence

Adverb I have nowhere to go. Nowhere is there more of a population problem than in this city. Noun from the looks of things, we're stranded in nowhere and most likely its proverbial middle in a few short years he rose out of nowhere to prominence in the tech industry
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
On the run from a painful past and with nowhere to go, Veronica ends up under Caleb’s roof. Alex Ritman, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025 But on the run from a painful past and with nowhere to go, Veronica ends up moving into Caleb’s home. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
Noun
Here's why the bassist moved to this 'middle of nowhere' Arizona town. Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Nov. 2025 The most enduring symbol of that series: Manu Ginobili at age 36, weaving his way through traffic in Game 5, giving a stiff-arm to 2013 tormentor Ray Allen before exploding for an out-of-nowhere dunk on Chris Bosh. Jeff McDonald, ExpressNews.com, 18 May 2020
Adjective
Attorneys allege that due to prolonged smoke inhalation and with nowhere left to run, Lori Long had no choice but to fall from the fourth floor. Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025 Luka has since acknowledged that the out-of-nowhere nature of the trade left his head not in quite the right place, either. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nowhere

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nowhere was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nowhere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nowhere. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

nowhere

1 of 2 adverb
no·​where ˈnō-ˌhwe(ə)r How to pronounce nowhere (audio)
-ˌwe(ə)r
-ˌhwa(ə)r
-ˌwa(ə)r
-hwər
-wər
1
: not in or at any place
2
: to no place
3
: not at all : not to the least extent
usually used with near
nowhere near enough

nowhere

2 of 2 noun
: a place that does not exist
sounds seeming to come from nowhere

More from Merriam-Webster on nowhere

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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