Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

no-win situation

Idioms  
  1. A situation certain to end in failure or disappointment, as in If the in-laws visit them or they visit the in-laws, either way they see it as a no-win situation. [c. 1960]


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.

See Examples For:

I’ve put machines, and my friends and family, in a no-win situation.

From Slate May 6, 2026

The end result: Renters get caught in something of a no-win situation.

From MarketWatch Nov. 4, 2025

From his time working for the BBC, he said he could see "all-too-well the no-win situation it often finds itself in".

From BBC Aug. 23, 2023

But like every other media mogul, Mr. Zaslav is wrestling with a no-win situation: Cable television, which has long powered media conglomerates, is in terminal decline, meaning that operational costs must also go down.

From New York Times Jun. 22, 2023

It was a no-win situation for the 13 women who had passed the same testing as the men of the Mercury 7.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training