(something) won't get (someone) anywhere
Something, typically a certain behavior, will not help someone progress or succeed in any way. Look, we can sit here arguing over who screwed up all day long, but pointing fingers at each other won't get us anywhere. Being the teacher's pet won't get you anywhere when the midterm exam rolls around.
not anywhere near
1. Completely unlike; not at all similar. This design's not anywhere near what I had in mind—you'll just have to start over from the beginning.
2. A great deal less; not nearly. I do pretty well in math, but I'm not anywhere near as gifted as my older sister.
not get anywhere
To make no progress at all; to be stuck or at an impasse. Look, we've been discussing this issue all day and we haven't gotten anywhere. Let's take a break and start again tomorrow. A: "How did the negotiations go today?" B: "We didn't get anywhere. I don't know how we're going to get this deal approved by the deadline."
get anywhere
To make progress. Did you guys get anywhere in the negotiations today? Ugh, I'm not getting anywhere with my research right now.
get nowhere
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.
not anything like
Also, nothing like; not anywhere near; nowhere near. Quite different from, far from; also, not nearly. For example, The town's library isn't anything like the university's library, or His outfit was nothing like his brother's, or It isn't anything like as cold as it was last winter, or That movie isn't anywhere near as exciting as I thought it would be, or Her diamond is nowhere near as big as mine. The phrases with like date from the late 1700s, and those with near from the mid-1400s.