Synonyms

get nowhere

Idioms

Also, not get anywhere. Make no progress, as in I've tried to put this together, but I'm getting nowhere with it. This expression is sometimes intensified as get nowhere fast, as in I tried phoning but got nowhere fast. [Early 1900s] Also see get somewhere; get there.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Eventually Mr. Rosolie and his colleagues open up the Las Piedras Biodiversity Station to visitors and take them on multiweek adventures they can get nowhere else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

As I started writing “Revenge,” the reason that I ended up calling you, Brian, was because I could get nowhere in terms of interviews with people.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2023

We are talking about a team who consistently have so much possession that their opponents often can get nowhere near them.

From BBC • May 22, 2022

Thinking he would get nowhere without business courses, he was surprised when a recruiter called him for an interview.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

In space, there is nothing to push backward; you can paddle all you want, but you’ll get nowhere.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023