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
In a video call to his wife, Rafael said the conditions at the Prairieland facility are poor — bathrooms and showers aren’t clean, the lights don’t turn all the way off at night, the medical care is subpar and the meals are very low-protein.
—
Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Those seconds could be the difference between Crawford being a subpar defender or a good one.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
There's also the scenario where the user experience just isn't great, whether that's subpar customer service or a malfunctioning app.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Blaming the Santa Cruz for its subpar performance doesn’t feel right.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Those seconds could be the difference between Crawford being a subpar defender or a good one.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
There's also the scenario where the user experience just isn't great, whether that's subpar customer service or a malfunctioning app.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Blaming the Santa Cruz for its subpar performance doesn’t feel right.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
Local officials criticized the FAA for imposing the closure without advance notice or coordination, calling the lack of communication unacceptable.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
That failure to communicate is unacceptable.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nichols and Vann concede that handing the cup with the apple juice and urine mix to Smith’s son to drink was wrong and Vann has expressed regret for that.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The crash involved a wrong-way driver on eastbound I-84, according to an Idaho State Police Facebook post.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
-
With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2006, ahead of the Turin Olympics, Vonn took a bad fall during downhill training and went to the hospital.—
ANDREW DAMPF,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Attending a bad Super Bowl is the Super Bowl of communal experiences.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The opinion noted that attorneys did not argue that Idaho’s system of public schools was deficient, or that the tax credit program would make it so.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Those who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to have anemia.—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
America just passed the 50th anniversary of one of its truly terrible days — one that future historians can track as the beginning of the end of our democracy.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Busch was terrible defensively at third.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Miami is now 27-26, still mired in play-in territory, entering today’s matinee at horrible Washington.—
Greg Cote
February 8,
Miami Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
-
A lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation the last couple of hours.—
Kathy Tulumello,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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