no·where
ˈnō-ˌ(h)wer 
-(h)wər
1
: not in or at any place
The book is nowhere to be found.
2
: to no place
I've gotten nowhere with my research.
Arguing will get us nowhere.
3
: not at all : not to the least extent
—usually used with near
nowhere near as serious
nowhere near enough
1
: a nonexistent place
2
: an unknown, distant, or obscure place or state
rose to fame out of nowhere
: of or relating to a remote or relatively unknown location
a nowhere town
Synonyms
Examples of nowhere in a Sentence
Adverb
I have nowhere to go.
Nowhere is there more of a population problem than in this city.
Noun
from the looks of things, we're stranded in nowhere and most likely its proverbial middle
in a few short years he rose out of nowhere to prominence in the tech industry
Recent Examples on the Web
Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
The full potential of that rage was nowhere more evident than in the handwritten police report that chronicles the night of Jan. 1, 1989, at Simpson’s Brentwood mansion.
—Susan Schindehette, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The resolution, which does not have the force of law, is likely to go nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Palestinians in Gaza have no shelters for refuge and nowhere to escape.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
But other projects were shelved or are nowhere close to production, The Wrap said.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
News With nowhere else to go, flood victims face anxiety, confusion over county’s hotel program
March 24, 2024
These are just a few of the concerns flood victims have shared with the county in recent weeks.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Then, out of nowhere, the order came to stand down.
—Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Jeff McDonald, ExpressNews.com, 18 May 2020
While the series has officially concluded, this comeback special fast forwards to an entirely new, out-of-nowhere plot point and is therefore easy to watch for novices.
—Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 13 May 2020
The closure of residential programs is particularly hard on recovering addicts faced with the elements and nowhere else to go, Burns points out.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2020
Most of us have plenty of time on our hands and nowhere to go.
—Michelle Krupa, CNN, 29 Mar. 2020
An early, out-of-nowhere jump scare keeps you on edge the entire time, even though the rest of the movie's pretty quiet as Rachel (Naomi Watts) attempts to save her son from the extremely pissed off ghost Samara.
—Katherine J Igoe, Marie Claire, 19 Mar. 2020
The new coronavirus has brought sports across the globe to a halt, but perhaps nowhere was that abrupt ending more stunning than in the locker room of the UK rifle team.
—Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 20 Mar. 2020
An out-of-nowhere VP choice might be enough to generate a boomlet of media attention, but there are limited options.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 8 Apr. 2020
As were the Goin' to Work Pistons from 2002-2008, and the out-of-nowhere Tigers from 2006, Justin Verlander's first two no-hitters and the four straight AL Central Division championships.
—Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2020
Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2024
But the growth of the surrounding city had turned it into an awkward nowhere zone.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
With nowhere to go and no money to rent an apartment, many including Savita’s family had no choice but to live under tarpaulin sheets on the rugged land, even as torrential rains and floods battered the city.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN, 5 Sep. 2023
With nowhere to go, police rushed in, some jumping barricades.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
Straight out of the can, in an onigiri, or on a Niçoise Toast there’s nowhere Starkist won't shine.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 8 Jan. 2024
For the New York or nowhere type Welcome to New York, as seen through the eyes of Scottish photographer Oliver Pilcher.
—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023
Agencies described children and families roaming the streets, unable to find food and with nowhere to go.
—Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2023
More of Larry Bird’s backstory, which begins in the nowhere town of French Lick, Indiana, is showcased.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Aug. 2023
Adverb
Hall thought Biden had made a simple political calculation: that the progressives in his party had nowhere to go.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
The full potential of that rage was nowhere more evident than in the handwritten police report that chronicles the night of Jan. 1, 1989, at Simpson’s Brentwood mansion.
—Susan Schindehette, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The resolution, which does not have the force of law, is likely to go nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Palestinians in Gaza have no shelters for refuge and nowhere to escape.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
But other projects were shelved or are nowhere close to production, The Wrap said.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
News With nowhere else to go, flood victims face anxiety, confusion over county’s hotel program
March 24, 2024
These are just a few of the concerns flood victims have shared with the county in recent weeks.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Then, out of nowhere, the order came to stand down.
—Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
The most enduring symbol of that series: Manu Ginobili at age 36, weaving his way through traffic in Game 5, giving a stiff-arm to 2013 tormentor Ray Allen before exploding for an out-of-nowhere dunk on Chris Bosh.
—Jeff McDonald, ExpressNews.com, 18 May 2020
While the series has officially concluded, this comeback special fast forwards to an entirely new, out-of-nowhere plot point and is therefore easy to watch for novices.
—Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 13 May 2020
The closure of residential programs is particularly hard on recovering addicts faced with the elements and nowhere else to go, Burns points out.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2020
Most of us have plenty of time on our hands and nowhere to go.
—Michelle Krupa, CNN, 29 Mar. 2020
An early, out-of-nowhere jump scare keeps you on edge the entire time, even though the rest of the movie's pretty quiet as Rachel (Naomi Watts) attempts to save her son from the extremely pissed off ghost Samara.
—Katherine J Igoe, Marie Claire, 19 Mar. 2020
The new coronavirus has brought sports across the globe to a halt, but perhaps nowhere was that abrupt ending more stunning than in the locker room of the UK rifle team.
—Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 20 Mar. 2020
An out-of-nowhere VP choice might be enough to generate a boomlet of media attention, but there are limited options.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 8 Apr. 2020
As were the Goin' to Work Pistons from 2002-2008, and the out-of-nowhere Tigers from 2006, Justin Verlander's first two no-hitters and the four straight AL Central Division championships.
—Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2020
Adjective
As passengers picked up luggage Tuesday afternoon from noisy carousels at the Charlotte airport, Willis Mobley sat in the baggage claim area covered in a blue blanket, next to his belongings — with nowhere to go.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2024
But the growth of the surrounding city had turned it into an awkward nowhere zone.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
With nowhere to go and no money to rent an apartment, many including Savita’s family had no choice but to live under tarpaulin sheets on the rugged land, even as torrential rains and floods battered the city.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN, 5 Sep. 2023
With nowhere to go, police rushed in, some jumping barricades.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
Straight out of the can, in an onigiri, or on a Niçoise Toast there’s nowhere Starkist won't shine.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 8 Jan. 2024
For the New York or nowhere type Welcome to New York, as seen through the eyes of Scottish photographer Oliver Pilcher.
—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023
Agencies described children and families roaming the streets, unable to find food and with nowhere to go.
—Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2023
More of Larry Bird’s backstory, which begins in the nowhere town of French Lick, Indiana, is showcased.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nowhere.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nowhere
Cite this Entry
“Nowhere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nowhere. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nowhere
1 of 2 adverb
no·where
ˈnō-ˌhwe(ə)r
-ˌwe(ə)r,
-ˌhwa(ə)r,
-ˌwa(ə)r,
-hwər,
-wər
1
: not in or at any place
2
: to no place
3
: not at all : not to the least extent
—usually used with near
nowhere near enough
nowhere
2 of 2 noun
: a place that does not exist
sounds seeming to come from nowhere
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