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 In a sense, Bowman was in a no-win situation — tight to the salary ceiling and without a ton of future capital to work with, with a team that had plenty of needs and a clock ticking loudly. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026 Avoid a short, no-win situation in mid-May, then buckle up for popularity, heightened ambitions, new clarity and cosmic protection over all. — Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for no-win

Recent Examples of Synonyms for no-win

Adjective

Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said long-standing restrictions on the civilian system in Ukraine made such offensive use impossible.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
The two versions of Israel that could result are so divergent as to seem impossible to reconcile.

— Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of impossible

Adjective

Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood Blame game The Angels fire manager Kurt Suzuki after another dismal, hopeless season.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
On Monday, a day after the Colts lost to the winless and hopeless Tennessee Titans at home, Indianapolis announced that Ballard has been relieved of his duties as team general manager.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

Here are a few examples of why looking for meaning in playoff baseball is pointless.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Back also said a 1-megawatt reactor seems pointless because the Army needs more power for a base and the commercial demand is limited.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of pointless

Adjective

The steady trickle of those recordings into the groundwater of influence has guaranteed the album its afterlife, both as a great lost future of American music and as a central pillar in the group’s legacy.

— Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Walczak’s estimates assume local governments raise tax rates enough to fully replace the lost revenue, based on state property records for every parcel in Florida.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of lost

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 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of no-win

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

satiate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes