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

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 subpar And the corner room’s overall talent and depth are subpar. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025 His conference call last week was subpar to say the least. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025 Another nice outing for the run defense, though the Seahawks' offensive line hardly struck any fear, playing with subpar guards and a third-string right tackle. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2024 Not even with the warning signs from last year — a 17-19 record under Doc Rivers and a subpar season from Damian Lillard. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
  • Restaurants rated unacceptable must close to fix their issues and require reinspection prior to reopening.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Americans heading into the 2026 and 2028 elections with a less secure system than in 2020 or 2024 is an unacceptable and avoidable step backward.
    Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This can manifest in poor financial behaviors like excessive credit card debt, minimal savings, or impulsive investment decisions.
    Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • From the moment the details of the agreement became known, analysts gave the deal a poor prognosis.
    TIME, TIME, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • 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
  • The question of the night is the choice between selling out their souls to the vapid American tourists at the Tropicana nightclub (bad) or singing for their own people on the wrong side of the tracks (good).
    Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • But, more importantly, who cares if the details are wrong?
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the Heat has been among the NBA’s worst teams in the league since Butler’s departure.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The most common reason a cruise ship skips a port is bad weather.
    David Nikel, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Kraken was also accused of having deficient internal controls and record keeping.
    Jonathan Stempel, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Those studies show that supplementing with vitamin A in people who are deficient can lead to milder infections with diseases like measles.
    Alice Park, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The boys now harbor a terrible secret of their own.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • But the point is, every team has a few terrible losses in the course of a season.
    Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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