as in failed
to be unsuccessful
the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident
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Recent Examples of flunked
John has just flunked the bar for the second time, and his job at the DA’s office — which has a three-strike policy — is in peril.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
The company was born from the will of a man who grew up dirt-poor in Baltimore, flunked fifth grade, served in Vietnam and became a billionaire.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Ultragenyx lost more than $1 billion in market value after its bone drug flunked late-stage clinical trials.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
But, ultimately, the Rockies flunked, losing a 4-3 gut-puncher when the Mariners scored three runs in the eighth off relievers Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
The company was born from the will of a man who grew up dirt-poor in Baltimore, flunked fifth grade, served in Vietnam and became a billionaire.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Ultragenyx lost more than $1 billion in market value after its bone drug flunked late-stage clinical trials.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
But, ultimately, the Rockies flunked, losing a 4-3 gut-puncher when the Mariners scored three runs in the eighth off relievers Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunked
Verb
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The show focuses on how the Metropolitan Police failed to thoroughly investigate two women’s allegations, which left Worboys free to commit assaults undetected for many years.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 2013, Hall tried (and failed) to replicate the previous magic and his show was cancelled after one season, many blaming tougher competition than before.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Under Cook, the company has become less surprising but massively financially successful; some of Apple’s newer products have flopped or underperformed, but far more have become and stayed excellent thanks to years of competent iteration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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Cuomo’s podcast and mayoral bid flopped.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The brief, failed ouster of Altman in 2023 almost collapsed the ChatGPT maker, with investors pressing the board to bring back Altman and employees pledging to quit en masse if the CEO wasn’t reinstated.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Over the past 50 years, the average size of wildlife populations has collapsed by 73% owing to nature loss and climate change.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Maxey missed his final three attempts, and the Celtics held on to win.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Houston survived James’ missed potential winner at the end of regulation after Alperen Şengün couldn’t score on the other end, but overtime felt inevitable — and so did the unraveling.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the fact, Mattel struggled to launch a popular action figure based on original IP.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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And Russia has struggled to replenish its military ranks amid horrific casualties on the Ukrainian front line.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His xAI, now folded into his rocket company SpaceX, trails far behind OpenAI in usage.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Red Sox made a surprise playoff run last year, and then completely folded over the offseason.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunked. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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