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
The developer also said that requests for changes to office space at the complex were a nonstarter since some of the project’s public funding is contingent upon providing on-site property management and support services.
—Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
Those appear to be nonstarters with the administration because of Chicago’s neutrality policy.
—Jeremy W. Peters Jamie Kelter Davis, New York Times, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for nonstarter 
Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024
Those appear to be nonstarters with the administration because of Chicago’s neutrality policy.
—Jeremy W. Peters Jamie Kelter Davis, New York Times, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for nonstarter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonstarter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Nonstarter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonstarter. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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