you can't win

Idioms

Also, you just can't win. Whatever one does is wrong or not enough, as in Every time I block one of the woodchuck's holes, I find another; you just can't win. [First half of 1900s] For a synonym, see damned if I do, damned if I don't.

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.

So voters be warned: if you’re looking for the perfect chart, you can’t win here.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2024

“If you can’t win in your home, you can’t win here.”

From Salon • Dec. 29, 2023

“Guess you can’t win them all,” he half-joked in his acceptance speech while celebrating his fellow Heisman finalists C.J.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2023

“You can’t score goals, you can’t win games and we need to win games. We’re all frustrated, but we know the only route is to keep working.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 24, 2023

“Shame you can't win any friends here, Taylor.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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