as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
that's just a bush-league ploy to get cast on a TV reality show
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Recent Examples of bush-league
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
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
What happened in the California state Assembly truly was a bush-league error.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
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
What happened in the California state Assembly truly was a bush-league error.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bush-league
Adjective
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And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
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Shamkhani underscored that the absence of sanctions relief rendered the U.S. plan unacceptable.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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And then what happens when taxpayers are given the wrong answer?—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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For HBCUs, the moment is reminiscent of the era decades ago when Black colleges were compelled to argue that school segregation was wrong but also needed to maintain government support for their institutions, said Marybeth Gasman, a Rutgers University professor who has studied the history of HBCUs.—
Cheyanne Mumphrey,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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In past decades, this stage was easy to spot: clashing colors, poor makeup attempts, and wardrobes inspired by favorite TV stars.—
Dia Gallo,
Parents,
17 June 2025
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Due to poor cell reception in the area, 911 calls kept dropping as witnesses scrambled to reach first responders.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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That backlash was so bad that Raven stepped in to defend her wife.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
16 June 2025
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Bane is a 41 percent career 3-point shooter who, in his five prior seasons, never shot worse than 38.1 percent from deep in a season.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who tells you different is a liar (and pathetic, and alone in life).—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
-
The politicized fantasy and horror films by Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are merely pathetic.—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Night trains generally were also found to be deficient in bicycle storage space.—
Tanya Mohn,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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This Sun team is simply deficient on both ends of the floor and ranks last in points, rebounds and assists per game.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Though Rivera was strong on balance beam and floor, posting the highest mark on beam and the third-best on floor, a disastrous bar routine took the Olympian out of the gold medal race.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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Following a disastrous May 6 outing in which Pressly surrendered nine runs, eight earned, without recording an out in the 11th inning against the San Francisco Giants, manager Craig Counsell pulled Pressly from the closer’s role.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bush-league.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bush-league. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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