as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subpar
The big leaguer among the three players, pitcher Drew Thorpe, had a subpar rookie season with the White Sox, underwent elbow surgery in September and had a cortisone shot in January, sidelining him until batting-practice sessions this week.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
The formula Philly used to win — heavy pressure with its front four — was similar to the one the Buccaneers used in Super Bowl 55, which featured another subpar performance from Mahomes.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 10 Feb. 2025
Allen got the benefit of a rather subpar division, clinching the AFC East Dec. 1.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
Van Ness, on the other hand, has just been consistently subpar.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
The formula Philly used to win — heavy pressure with its front four — was similar to the one the Buccaneers used in Super Bowl 55, which featured another subpar performance from Mahomes.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 10 Feb. 2025
Allen got the benefit of a rather subpar division, clinching the AFC East Dec. 1.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
Van Ness, on the other hand, has just been consistently subpar.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
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Defense stocks were once considered socially unacceptable investments, but fund managers are slowly changing tack as the sector has rallied in recent years.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
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Forcing Americans and small independent American companies to rely on those same tools is an unacceptable outcome of domestic legislation.—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, the massive, albeit picturesque, gullies were made because of poor farming practices during the 1800s.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
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The Heat continues to rotate through different starting groups because of injuries and poor play, using six different starting lineups in the last six games and 11 different starting lineups in the last 13 games.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 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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His interrogator conceded that the police must have gotten the wrong guy and released him within weeks.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
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Five justices said the lawsuit was brought in the wrong venue.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hundreds of homes were damaged when a bad rainstorm hit in 2023.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
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What happened was my bad behavior and my angst brought the energy finally.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The middle column is like being on a balance beam; knowing whether your lean is one side or another - deficient or excess - is essential for development.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Choose Slow-Release for Nitrogen Of the three primary macronutrients—N, P, and K—nitrogen is most often deficient.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The rhetoric pushed here is that someone with a high body count has less value and will either make a terrible partner or no one will want them in the first place.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
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But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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