as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
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Recent Examples of subpar
But some bumps in the road are to be expected, and Friday was one of those days for Rea, who turned in a subpar performance in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds before 36,019 at Wrigley Field.
—
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
After nearly a decade of complaints, the overhaul is a welcome development to lawmakers and aides alike who believe the previous offerings were subpar.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 25 May 2025
Cruise framed the film's subpar reception as a teachable moment.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 May 2025
But a good partner can make even a subpar project worthwhile.
—Dr. Eric George, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
After nearly a decade of complaints, the overhaul is a welcome development to lawmakers and aides alike who believe the previous offerings were subpar.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 25 May 2025
Cruise framed the film's subpar reception as a teachable moment.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 May 2025
But a good partner can make even a subpar project worthwhile.
—Dr. Eric George, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
-
Tools that pose an unacceptable threat to rights or safety are banned outright.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Most cited poor digital offerings or a lack of services and products.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
-
Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
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
-
And then what happens when taxpayers are given the wrong answer?—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
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
-
That cartilage injury was worse than expected, and Jiménez could miss all or most of this season rehabbing.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
-
And that is disruptive, but not necessarily bad for the industry.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Night trains generally were also found to be deficient in bicycle storage space.—
Tanya Mohn,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
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
-
And these are the same Oilers who, after a terrible 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Panthers, overcame a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to even the series.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
-
For example, while the IRA rollback effort will inevitably mean a significant reduction in U.S. federal support for electric vehicles, nevertheless the adoption of EVs continued in Q1 even despite a terrible quarter for the U.S.’s leading brand (Tesla).—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2025
-
We were made aware of this horrible activity by Priscilla Olivarez from ILRC, at our annual conference Convening 2025, held in San Antonio.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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