checkered

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adjective check·ered \ ˈche-kərd \

Definition of checkered

:marked by alternation or contrast of fortune

the best album of his checkered career
—Mark Coleman

; especially :marked by many problems or failures

trying to prevent discovery of his checkered past

See checkered defined for English-language learners

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Examples of checkered in a Sentence

He has had a checkered career with many ups and downs.

Recent Examples of checkered from the Web

He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt or possibly a hodded sweatshirt, along with jeans and a black or black-checkered, tactical-style backpack.

— nicole blanchard john sowell, idahostatesman, "A Boise man tried to chase down an alleged burglar. Then he was shot.," 13 Aug. 2017
A former Louisville Metro Police officer with a checkered past reapplied to be a member of the city's police force this week, prompting a harsh response from Chief Steve Conrad.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "LMPD chief says he 'will never' rehire McKenzie Mattingly, who shot Michael Newby in 2004," 3 Aug. 2017
Bust this checkered placemat ($59, jossandmain.com) out when guests are over and wait for the compliments to start rolling in.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, "Sherwin Williams' "Stardew" Is the Color Taking Over Pinterest Right Now," 2 Aug. 2017
And so the original Ford GT was created solely for that purpose, bringing home the checkered flag in 1966, 1967, 1968, and, for good measure, 1969.

— kevin sintumuang, Esquire, "Ford's New $450,000 GT Makes a Fool Out of Ferrari—Again," 19 July 2017
But instead, one of these flamboyant narcissists with a checkered legal past is the president and the other one has become an occasional, unofficial adviser.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "President Trump Is Keeping in Touch With Don King," 14 July 2017
Michael Connelly has spent much of his career writing about Harry Bosch, the brooding detective who has a long, checkered history with the Los Angeles Police Department and an obsessive dedication to his work.

— janet maslin, New York Times, "Michael Connelly’s New Detective Makes Harry Bosch Look Like a Slouch," 10 July 2017
His 25-year career has been checkered with several high profile incidents that have put him squarely in baseball's spotlight.

— james pilcher, Cincinnati.com, "Who is Angel Hernandez? Umpire who’s sued MLB in middle of many kerfuffles," 7 July 2017
The two little cherries match her red flats, and a flowy white sundress, cat-eye sunglasses, and checkered headband over a loose bun complete the summery look.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Elle Fanning Was Spotted With a Cherry Tattoo While Walking Her Dog," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'checkered.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of checkered

1656

CHECKERED Defined for English Language Learners

checkered

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adjective

Definition of checkered for English Language Learners

: having a pattern made up of squares of different colors
: including good parts and bad parts
: including many problems or failures

CHECKERED Defined for Kids

checkered

play

adjective check·ered \ ˈche-kərd \

Definition of checkered for Students

:having a pattern made up of squares of different colors

Learn More about checkered

Nglish: Translation of checkered for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of checkered for Arabic speakers

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checkered

Definition of checkered

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CHECKERED Defined for English Language Learners

checkered

Definition of checkered for English Language Learners

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checkered

Definition of checkered for Students

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checkered

Definition of checkered

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