as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident
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Recent Examples of flunk
Ruth used that run-in to inform Franks of why Gibbs flunked his psych eval, and to call him on the carpet for dodging the boy’s calls/visits.
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Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
The Eagles will be a measuring stick During a 27-13 loss that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate, the Steelers flunked that test.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
At this point, far too many Americans have flunked that test.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
Charlotte Hornets The Mark Williams trade was a spectacular piece of opportunism that sadly went by the wayside when the Lakers flunked his physical, but give the Hornets points for nearly pulling that off.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
The Eagles will be a measuring stick During a 27-13 loss that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate, the Steelers flunked that test.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
At this point, far too many Americans have flunked that test.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
Charlotte Hornets The Mark Williams trade was a spectacular piece of opportunism that sadly went by the wayside when the Lakers flunked his physical, but give the Hornets points for nearly pulling that off.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunk
Verb
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Activists have accused Iranian authorities of killing Amini after her detention on charges of failing to adhere to the country's dress code.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The State Department reportedly justified its decision by accusing the school of repeatedly failing to combat antisemitism on campus.—
Jackson Walker,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The security perimeter collapses, and the risk increases exponentially.—
Craig Davies,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Video shows the man collapse to the ground, deputies said.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The company’s attempt at an autonomous vehicle also flopped.—
Shannon Carroll,
Quartz,
29 May 2025
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The musical famously flopped upon its 1988 Broadway debut, closing after just 68 performances.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Kirsten Acuna,
People.com,
28 May 2025
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Both teams had their first two penalties saved, before Steaua eventually got themselves together to score two… which was enough because Barca missed all four of theirs.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunk. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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