as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substandard
However, human clinical studies testing specific therapies targeting inflammation and their impact on metabolic disease have had promising but substandard results.
—
Danielle Weiss, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025
What was once one of the league’s most efficient rushing attacks nosedived this past season, largely due to substandard guard play.
—Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
In countries such as Suriname, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and other countries, the CCP has dug its financial claws into these economies, funneling billions of dollars into substandard infrastructure projects.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
And then there’s the slight issue of CP’s paddle, which is widely known to be substandard in terms of today’s technology and is a big reason she’s fallen out of favor with ALW/is falling down the ranks in singles.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Danielle Weiss, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025
What was once one of the league’s most efficient rushing attacks nosedived this past season, largely due to substandard guard play.
—Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
In countries such as Suriname, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and other countries, the CCP has dug its financial claws into these economies, funneling billions of dollars into substandard infrastructure projects.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
And then there’s the slight issue of CP’s paddle, which is widely known to be substandard in terms of today’s technology and is a big reason she’s fallen out of favor with ALW/is falling down the ranks in singles.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
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The first project yields too many false positives, introducing an unacceptable amount of friction into the consumer experience.—
Shazia Manus,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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But violence, vandalism or destruction of property are completely unacceptable.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 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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But even putting O’Brien on notice would be an attempt to intimidate and silence a critic, which is plainly wrong.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2025
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There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it Matt Sekerke is a managing director at SEDA Experts and senior macro advisor at Hiddenite Capital Partners.—
Matt Sekerke,
Fortune,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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He's been deficient as a one-on-one defender; inconsistent as a bench scorer.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
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Every leader has the opportunity to assess their strength of character relative to the 11 dimensions and to understand whether what could be a virtue manifests as a deficient (underdeveloped) or an excess (unsupported) vice, which could compromise judgment and well-being.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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If sinister twists or Roy-style bad dads do it for you, hang on past the hour mark.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 May 2025
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Glorifying motherhood, meanwhile, in practical terms, may only make mothers’ daily lives worse.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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State auditors later concluded in October 2017 that the district, under Woodard’s leadership, had not only improperly authorized charter schools outside its boundaries but had conducted flawed oversight and reviews of charter petitions.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2025
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Even flawed testing provides valuable information — including how tests might be better written.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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