nonstarter

[ non-stahr-ter ]

noun

1. an issue, plan, etc., that does not get or deserve to get under way.

nonstarter

/ nɒnˈstɑːtə /

noun

1. a horse that fails to run in a race for which it has been entered
2. a person or thing that is useless, has little chance of success, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonstarter¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

In Wisconsin, where Chin is based, that’s a nonstarter, he says.

From Science News

Still, Moscow’s demand was largely seen as a nonstarter by the West, as NATO’s open-door policy says sovereign countries can choose their own security alliances.

From Vox

We very quickly realized that if people talked about right-wing terrorism, it was a nonstarter with them.

From ProPublica

Anything that’s going to weaken or diminish the ability for our law enforcement officers to respond would be a nonstarter for me.

From Voice of San Diego

Arranging smells in a map-like way may sound like a nonstarter.

From Nautilus

This plan has the virtue of relative simplicity, but is considered a nonstarter with Republicans.

From The Daily Beast

End the tax-free status of employer health benefits:  So many problems with this, I think we can all agree it's a nonstarter.

From The Daily Beast

I know, at this point, that the first option is a nonstarter.

From The Daily Beast

But Mitt Romney for president is a nonstarter, despite headquartering his campaign in the North End of Boston.

From The Daily Beast

Yet even before the document became public, Republicans called it a nonstarter and dead on arrival.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• bust
• debacle
• disaster
• dud
• fiasco
• washout