as in failing
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Dissimilar Words
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful
the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flunking
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form.
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CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Or the employee cafeteria in the chains’ corporate overlord’s headquarters flunking an inspection?
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David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
By the end of the eighth grade, Ben—now out as gay—was flunking every class.
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Longreads,
3 Feb. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
Conservatives, with few exceptions, united behind her, arguing the controversy was an example of a left-wing instructor flunking a student over their Christian beliefs.
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Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
14 Dec. 2025
The coursework was intense, and the two struggled, even flunking some classes.
—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
Hannah starts flunking tests, missing class, and becomes totally subsumed in Melanie’s world and her instructor’s investment in her.
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Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form.
—
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Or the employee cafeteria in the chains’ corporate overlord’s headquarters flunking an inspection?
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
By the end of the eighth grade, Ben—now out as gay—was flunking every class.
—
Longreads,
3 Feb. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
Conservatives, with few exceptions, united behind her, arguing the controversy was an example of a left-wing instructor flunking a student over their Christian beliefs.
—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
14 Dec. 2025
The coursework was intense, and the two struggled, even flunking some classes.
—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunking
Adjective
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The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
Verb
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The camaraderie was evident on the ground here in La Guaira, the coastal city where quake damage was most severe, collapsing dozens of buildings.
-
Unlike straw or lower-grade wool blends, beaver felt can be reworked without collapsing its structure, which is what allows hats to be reshaped by hand rather than stamped out of a mold.
Verb
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Brown has talked trash about Sixers center Joel Embiid and has accused him of flopping.
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Video shows Neil flopping his blubbery body around on the street, destroying fences and cuddling with traffic cones.
Verb
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Canada, the first World Cup host to play a game outside its borders, could get a boost if Alphonso Davies, its best player, can play after missing the team’s first three games.
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Elsewhere, Iran’s soccer team has been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, missing the 32-team knockout stages by one spot in heartbreaking fashion.
Verb
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Trump taking the country to war with Iran, in part at the urging of his pal Bibi — without any sensible plan, debate, sanction from Congress or consideration as to how this might hurt Americans already struggling to make ends meet.
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The rules were altered in 2004 at the urging of Algeria, which was struggling to field a competitive national team with wholly domestic players and saw dozens of better prospects from the diaspora living in France.
Cite this Entry
“Flunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunking. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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