ˌsəb-ˈäp-tə-məl
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
yes, living on junk food generally means that you have a suboptimal diet
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suboptimal
The Apple deal was suboptimal for exposure and probably could have been tolerated financially.
—
Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2025
Diversification can also lead to suboptimal choices.
—Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
However suboptimal the timing, few of these elections were close enough that even particularly influential podcasters could have swung them.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
In suboptimal circumstances, Zollers looked the part of a Power 4 quarterback.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2025
Diversification can also lead to suboptimal choices.
—Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
However suboptimal the timing, few of these elections were close enough that even particularly influential podcasters could have swung them.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
In suboptimal circumstances, Zollers looked the part of a Power 4 quarterback.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suboptimal
Adjective
-
Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These actions, coupled with her own words, reveal an unacceptable disdain for our constitutional system of checks and balances.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Evening people were 79% more likely to have poor overall heart health compared with those in the intermediate group, the study found.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Audits have identified poor planning, weak oversight, and insufficient monitoring of quality and cost.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mia’s giant bow dress is fabulous, but her hair is all wrong.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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Which is why the reaction to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney blowing the whistle on Ole Miss coach Pete Golding for alleged tampering feels so wrong.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 26 to help UConn beat Tennessee, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss in the storied rivalry.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
To that end, here’s a selection of the best (and most enjoyably bad) literary film and TV coming to streaming services this month.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The city’s Planning Commission approved the project in October despite objections from nearby residents, who appealed the decision to the City Council saying the environmental report was deficient and the subdivision was incompatible with surrounding land uses.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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People who have had gastric bypass surgery can also become deficient in vitamin D, says Bouwmeester.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For many viewers, the plot lines feel human, flawed and real.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
-
While much has been made about the Heat potentially being positioned to make a better offer to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo if Milwaukee were to wait for the offseason for such a move, that reasoning is somewhat flawed.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suboptimal. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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