NO-WIN Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

no-win

adjective

Definition of no-win

as in impossible

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of no-win Or has that become a no-win move? — Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026 This is a no-win situation because one of us will end up unhappy. — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026 This type of agreement is not unheard of, according to Billboard, mirroring the no-win-no-fee model employed by some legal firms. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025 The reality is that caregiving will frequently put you in no-win situations where no easy answer exists. — Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for no-win

Recent Examples of Synonyms for no-win

Adjective

Underwood wasn’t Michigan’s only problem, but his struggles were impossible to ignore.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
In a community where trust in the immigration system and other authorities had eroded, Ortega became someone who had been through the same fear and knew how to navigate a system that many families found impossible to understand.

— Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of impossible

Adjective

Corruption was endemic, and the country’s deeper troubles—its poverty, its social inequities, and the hopeless conditions that drive millions of Nepalis to emigrate for work—endured, laying the kindling for last year’s explosion.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Sometimes, love in a hopeless place is worth the price of admission.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

The Giants coach sounded wistful when talking about Kaepernick and the lost chance to team up with the quarterback who had nearly denied him a Super Bowl ring.

— Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Florida has just 52 certified headache specialists, so for a worker in rural Florida, a diagnosis can mean a lost day’s wages and a long drive.

— Brian T. Bailey, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of lost

Adjective

Speaking in normal terms, this means Newcastle had tracked Fernandez-Pardo over the long term and would have moved for him sooner, but believed the player was unattainable.

— Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
For leaders, this means exercise is a critical tool to maintain cognitive function when perfect sleep is unattainable.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of unattainable

Adjective

Inflation has reached absurd heights, the Lebanese pound is all but worthless, and the government shuts off the electricity for more than half of each day.

— Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Therefore, at current depletion rates, most of Venezuela’s oil reserves are worthless.

— Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of worthless

Browse Nearby Words

nowheresville

no-win

nowise

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Style

“No-win.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/no-win. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of no-win

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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