bush-league

adjective

ˈbu̇sh-ˌlēg How to pronounce bush-league (audio)
Definition of bush-leaguenext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard that's just a bush-league ploy to get cast on a TV reality show

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bush-league The only thing worse than the optics of Jokic running 50 feet to shove McDaniels for a bush-league layup are his statistics. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026 While Chad is giving bush-league Sandler, the supporting characters are ripped from the playbook of Ted Lasso—another sports comedy based on a viral bit, not to mention a massively popular show whose title surely figured in the development of Chad Powers. — Judy Berman, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 A lot of times, these bush-league but prolific lawbreakers basically got a warning, then another warning, then maybe a couple of months in county. — Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024 The script constitutes a string of bush-league errors we’re not supposed to care about, starting with the audience getting way, way out ahead of the characters regarding who’s hiding what. — Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, 7 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bush-league
  1. unacceptable
  2. lame
  3. wrong
  4. poor
  5. bad
  6. pathetic
  7. deficient
  8. terrible
Adjective
  • In their grievance letter, the detainees called the markups an unacceptable business practice with no apparent limit.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Overt racial prejudice, long considered socially unacceptable, is increasingly visible in public life, marking a shift from previously subtle forms.
    — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • But instead of playing kingmaker, the lame-duck governor has refused to get behind a candidate to succeed him.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?
    — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • Critics, and even some supporters, said Soto-Martínez was making his move at the wrong time.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • That could always be wrong, of course, but at least that’s the garage talk heading into the weekend.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Overflowing poor drainage areas in urban areas of northwest Hickory and in the Northlakes area of Caldwell County.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • There was a lot of poor decision-making with this match, on and off the pitch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • That if you were deemed, as an enslaved person, if you were deemed troublesome or in some way unwanted, you would literally be sold down the river from the more northern states to the deeper south where you would potentially be treated even worse.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Offer Real Value, Not Leftovers Most product bundles fail not because the idea is bad but because the execution misses what consumers actually want.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.
    — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • After these first three majors — and after a pathetic showing this week at Shinnecock — there's no reason to bet against it.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Drought covered virtually the entire Plains, destroying crops with deficient rainfall, high temperatures, high winds, insect infestations and dust storms.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Many people included in these studies may not have been deficient in vitamin D or calcium to begin with.
    — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 1 July 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • With all the terrible news of layoffs and that the games industry is in a dire state, some people online have said a crash is the only way to fix things.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • With Te Fiti gone, a terrible darkness began slowly taking hold of the islands and their surrounding waters.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of terrible

Browse Nearby Words

bushels
bush-league
bushmaster
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Cite this Entry

“Bush-league.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bush-league. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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