NO-WIN Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

no-win

adjective

Definition of no-win

as in impossible

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

The figure is impossible to confirm but in line with estimates by Western officials.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
That might prove to be difficult, if not prohibitively expensive or just impossible, in urban areas with sewers, gas lines, fiber optic cables and whatnot installed beneath streets, parkways, sidewalks and paved alleys.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of impossible

Adjective

But conversely, Ukrainians should not die in warfare because their leaders are undermined in the pursuit of unattainable values alone.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Outsourcing questions about improving one’s appearance to software that was built to optimize someone’s looks based on existing patterns creates an endless spiral in which increasingly unattainable results are reinforced and standardized.

— Jaimie Potters, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of unattainable

Adjective

The referee’s visual countdown may prove worthless if the player trotting off has his back to the official, which will invariably be the case.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
And since Jace’s death, she’s treated Baela as nothing more than a defective surveillance drone — a worthless piece of tech that never spots Vhagar.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of worthless

Browse Nearby Words

nowheresville

no-win

nowise

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“No-win.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/no-win. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of no-win

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

expeditious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes