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
While many residents who spoke at Thursday’s meeting agreed that the conditions are subpar and need attention, several criticized a bond as the funding mechanism.
—
Tess Riski
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Supporters, largely Republicans, say the policy accelerates school improvement and expands options for families — especially those in districts with subpar schools.
—Garrett Shanley, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The filter of peer review, meant to weed out subpar science, tends to be more porous with special issues.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
With four veterans and 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz, the Giants finally had a solid offensive line last season after a decade plagued by subpar line play.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Tess Riski
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Supporters, largely Republicans, say the policy accelerates school improvement and expands options for families — especially those in districts with subpar schools.
—Garrett Shanley, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The filter of peer review, meant to weed out subpar science, tends to be more porous with special issues.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
With four veterans and 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz, the Giants finally had a solid offensive line last season after a decade plagued by subpar line play.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
Those parties clinging to the outdated and socially unacceptable business model that relies on selling puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers are no longer welcome in nine states and over 520 localities and some are looking for a new home.—
Annie Hornish,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri denounced the attack as tragic and unacceptable during a visit to the village on Monday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps the owner’s unexpected absence was an indication that the rumors about my imminent demise were wrong and that things were not so certain.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
After a week where everything that could have gone wrong did and the noise surrounding the club threatened to swallow the team whole, the Red Sox finally broke their four-game slide in grand fashion and got to enjoy a nice, drama-free win.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its 28-game start matches the expansion 1962 Mets — who lost 120 games — along with 1964 and 1983 for the second-worst in team history behind an 8-20 opening in 1981.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Ossai isn’t a bad pass rusher either, getting five sacks in each of the last two seasons, a total that somehow would’ve ranked second on the Jets last season.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
First, container growing gives you more control over the health and growth of your plants and is a great solution if your garden naturally has poorly draining or deficient soil.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
-
There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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