as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful
the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of flunking
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Like the Phillies, they were weakened by a key player — ex-Padre Jurickson Profar — being suspended 80 games for flunking a PED test.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunking
Verb
-
The Jays left two runners in scoring position with no outs in the third, failing to push the ball out of the infield to earn a lead.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
However, the former fifth-round pick faded over his final couple of years in the Windy City, failing to reach 500 yards receiving in either 2022 or 2023.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Transmitted by bites, scratches, or even just by getting a drop of infected blood in one's system, the virus spreads rapidly, effectively collapsing society.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
3 Sep. 2025
-
On the runway, the forms alternate between architectural precision and fluid sensuality, with Scott often layering handwoven crochet against crisp suiting or transparent knits, collapsing binaries between resort wear and luxury evening.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Domnhall Gleeson stars as the new editor-in-chief of a flopping Toledo newspaper tasked with revitalising its output.—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Nassau County police first received a description of the person who was fatally struck on the parkway and then received a call from Christopher's school roughly 15 minutes later about a missing boy, detective Tracey Cabey tells PEOPLE.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even with Muchová so clearly struggling, Osaka faced some weird jeopardy down the stretch.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
However, even people who have these more 'substantial' degrees are struggling.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share