clunker

noun

clunk·​er ˈkləŋ-kər How to pronounce clunker (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Several of them have been, to put it politely, clunkers. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025 That’s right around where Dumbo was, jeez: That Tim Burton clunker did $15.2M on its opening day for a near $46M 3-day off a much cheaper production cost than Snow White ($170M versus $270M). Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025 Focusing only on customer-facing technology is like building a Ferrari on a clunker chassis. Savneet Singh, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 Shesterkin had a clunker coming out of the 4 Nations break, getting pulled in the first period Saturday in Buffalo after allowing five goals. Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clunker

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clunker was in 1930

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clunker. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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