phrasal verb · neutral

get nowhere

UK/ɡet ˈnəʊweə/US/ɡet ˈnoʊwɛr/get NO·where

speakingtask2

to make no progress; to fail to achieve a result

Examples

After an hour of arguing we were getting nowhere.

I tried to explain my idea to the boss but I got nowhere.

Negotiations got nowhere because both sides refused to budge.

Band 8 sentence

I tried to mediate between the two teams, but the discussion quickly got nowhere because both were so entrenched in their positions.

Collocations

  • get nowhere with
  • be getting nowhere

Word family

get / got / gotten verb

Common mistakes

go nowhereget nowhere

get no whereget nowhere

Say it for a higher band

5fail6go nowhere7+get nowhere

Synonyms

make no progress

go nowhere

Easily confused

go nowhere

The project went nowhere because funding was cut.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In get …

Learn it with its set