1
: an old or badly working piece of machinery
especially
: a dilapidated automobile
2
: someone or something notably unsuccessful
told a joke that was a real clunker
Examples of clunker in a Sentence
My first car was an old clunker that kept breaking down.
That joke was a real clunker.
The director's recent films have all been clunkers.
Recent Examples on the Web
There have been a few clunkers along the way, to be sure.
—
Nora Taylor, Robb Report, 20 May 2024
His one clunker, home or road, came on April 27 in Mexico City when the Astros ripped him for six runs on six hits (including two homers) in Colorado’s 14-4 loss.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for clunker 
Nora Taylor, Robb Report, 20 May 2024
His one clunker, home or road, came on April 27 in Mexico City when the Astros ripped him for six runs on six hits (including two homers) in Colorado’s 14-4 loss.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for clunker
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clunker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clunker
Cite this Entry
“Clunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clunker. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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