as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
that's just a bush-league ploy to get cast on a TV reality show
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Recent Examples of bush-league
A lot of times, these bush-league but prolific lawbreakers basically got a warning, then another warning, then maybe a couple of months in county.
—
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
A lot of times, these bush-league but prolific lawbreakers basically got a warning, then another warning, then maybe a couple of months in county.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
The script constitutes a string of bush-league errors we’re not supposed to care about, starting with the audience getting way, way out ahead of the characters regarding who’s hiding what.
—Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, 7 June 2024
What happened in the California state Assembly truly was a bush-league error.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
A lot of times, these bush-league but prolific lawbreakers basically got a warning, then another warning, then maybe a couple of months in county.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
The script constitutes a string of bush-league errors we’re not supposed to care about, starting with the audience getting way, way out ahead of the characters regarding who’s hiding what.
—Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, 7 June 2024
What happened in the California state Assembly truly was a bush-league error.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bush-league
Adjective
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Hertz’s 10-month delay in contacting you is unacceptable and likely violates their own policies for handling claims efficiently.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
28 Aug. 2025
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By the federal government’s own standards, USAID’s fire sale is unacceptable.—
Hana Kiros,
The Atlantic,
26 Aug. 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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One wrong step sent Luhn hurtling down the side of the mountain.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
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In February 2019, the Black social worker was handcuffed naked in her home as police raided the wrong apartment, acting on a tip from a confidential informant.—
Kerry Lester Kasper,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The White House disputes the prediction, arguing the Congressional Budget Office is a poor predictor of outcomes.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Yet that season, the Cubs’ overall fate was sealed thanks to a poor 10-18 May and a 12-17 run in the last month of the season.—
Andy Frye,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Tony Award-winning actor/activist on President Trump’s effort to change how US history — particularly how bad slavery was — is portrayed at the Smithsonian.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
27 Aug. 2025
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Recent research shows that executives using generative AI made significantly worse predictions than those who relied on traditional deliberation methods.—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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How petty and pathetic and thin-skinned could this administration get?—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
22 Aug. 2025
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Two things were completely predictable after Donald Trump’s pathetic stunt, packing the streets of Washington, DC, with National Guard members and federal agents, allegedly to combat crime.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Aid distribution in Gaza has not always been this deficient, or fatal.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
26 July 2025
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The 11 dimensions of character can manifest in deficient and excess states as shown in Table 1.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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This came after multiple failures in recent years — including three disastrous explosions in 2025 alone.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, Russia is having a disastrous harvest despite being an agricultural powerhouse, putting further pressure on the economy and the Kremlin’s finances.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bush-league.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bush-league. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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