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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Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
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Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.—
Maxim Sytch,
Harvard Business Review,
18 Apr. 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
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That means more time for Rojas, who has shown more bad than good to begin this season.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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Black Mirror’s most effective episodes use their high-concept premises to explore people’s hunger for connection and validation, and how our increasingly tech-forward, capitalistic world can stretch those human impulses to the limit for better or (almost always) worse.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Atlanta Falcons: Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M The Falcons have been deficient in pass rushers for years.—
Ben Standig,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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In 2022 Placer County dropped its approval after an appeals court found that its environmental report was deficient in four areas, including emergency evacuation analysis.—
CalMatters,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Skinner had a terrible time of it for much of the season.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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What is disconcerting is when campaign donors and friends & family have commuted sentences after they have been legally convicted of terrible financial crimes.—
Sanjeev Menon,
Forbes.com,
14 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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