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
People who know how substandard these homes are don’t voluntarily go there.
—
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
To normies, this abrogation of procedure and consensus is the route to a shitty, substandard building.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Cyclists may ride two or more abreast in a substandard width lane – defined as a lane that is too narrow for a bike and vehicle to travel safely side-by-side – if the lane doesn't allow for vehicles to safely pass bikes.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
To normies, this abrogation of procedure and consensus is the route to a shitty, substandard building.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Cyclists may ride two or more abreast in a substandard width lane – defined as a lane that is too narrow for a bike and vehicle to travel safely side-by-side – if the lane doesn't allow for vehicles to safely pass bikes.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
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Those parties clinging to the outdated and socially unacceptable business model that relies on selling puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers are no longer welcome in nine states and over 520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
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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
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Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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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
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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
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The high-flying version of the Avs has yet to arrive in this series, but the defensively-sound edition backed by strong goaltending continues to be enough against an inferior Kings club.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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Their highest attendance of the games played at Stamford Bridge this season is 30,545, the only one to come close to the 30,000 mark, and inferior to their record attendance of 39,398 set two years ago at their Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Hubble famously launched to LEO with a flawed mirror, which was fixed by astronauts during a servicing mission in 1993.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Policymakers should be focused on unwinding this deeply flawed legacy, not doubling down on it.—
Elaine Parker,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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