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clunker

noun

ˈkləŋ-kər How to pronounce clunker (audio)
Definition of clunkernext
1
as in crate
a dilapidated old automobile she drove a clunker because she couldn't afford anything better

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in disaster
something that has failed a real clunker, the movie was soon littering the shelves of video stores everywhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 clunker That means plenty of clunkers, even when teams are decent. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026 The Mets didn’t think Scott was in danger of losing any confidence after that clunker. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026 Same goes for Sonny Gray (two quality starts, two 4-inning clunkers), Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello (both two bad games followed by a gem). — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026 Perhaps the 6-11 clunker was inevitable in some ways after five Super Bowl appearances in six seasons — and three straight — left the Chiefs playing 19 postseason games in that span. — Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clunker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunker
  1. crate
  2. disaster
  3. failure
  4. disappointment
  5. loser
  6. catastrophe
Noun
  • In the first challenge, there is a decoy crate filled with salmon.
    — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • During the day, patrons sip beer outside while chatting with friends or searching through crates of music.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of crate
Noun
  • Stagg, however, became convinced the day would be stormy – bringing swell and poor visibility that would spell disaster.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Nepal's disaster management agency said five more bodies were located in a different location and equipment was being sent to recover them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • It is built the same way that the figure skater builds a routine or the running back learns to explode through a crack in the line—repetition after repetition, failure after failure, with no shortcut available and no machine that can stand in.
    — Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • That makes preventing deployment and routing failures especially important as these fleets expand.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Chubb was a slight disappointment in his Bills debut from a pass-rushing perspective.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • And Harvey faces his overbearing father’s disappointment most glaringly with the public humiliation of an emotional breakdown while taking part in an amateur wrestling match the bodybuilder entered to prove his physical strength.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disappointment
Noun
  • The biggest losers right now are truckload carriers, especially small firms or owner-operators.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The losers would include the families of passengers who were uninsured, those of trespassers who were careless (or suicidal), and, equally tragically, those of unfortunate railway employees killed in the course of their employment.
    — Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • Sometimes a president doesn’t have to ask for the country’s attention, because catastrophe has already gathered it.
    — John Dickerson, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The catastrophe was a reminder of not only the destructiveness of Israeli bombing, but also the depth of the continuing privation in Gaza today.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophe

Browse Nearby Words

clunked
clunker
clunkers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunker. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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