checkered

check·ered | \ ˈche-kərd

\

Definition of checkered

1 : marked by alternating squares of different colors, shades, or materials a checkered fabric checkered tablecloths — see also checkered flag

2 : marked by alternation or contrast of fortune … the best album of his checkered career— Mark Coleman especially : marked by many problems or failures … had a checkered past that included convictions for battery and tax evasion. — Charlotte Triggs et al.

Examples of checkered in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web Despite Serra's checkered legacy, many residents consider the San Gabriel Mission an architectural marvel. — NBC News, "Fire ravages 249-year-old Spanish mission in Southern California," 11 July 2020 Expect '50s music, checkered floors and a low counter with spinning stools and bar seating (though that's currently closed due to the coronavirus). — Briana Rice, The Enquirer, "'The wait is over': Sugar n' Spice takes over former Joe's Diner in Over-the-Rhine," 9 July 2020 Despite never passing a car during on-track action, Askew made one of just two drives on Saturday that advanced drivers double-digit positions from the starting grid to the checkered flag. — Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, "Arrow McLaren SP's Oliver Askew survives tough day at Texas for rest of IndyCar rookies," 9 June 2020 All to cross a tiny checkered line just one ten-thousandth of a second quicker. — Andrew Zaleski, Popular Science, "Meet the dads who can’t quit pinewood derby racing—even after their kids are over it," 3 June 2020 On Thursday night, Chase Elliott took his first checkered flag of the Cup Series season, finishing more than 2 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Denny Hamlin, who edged past Ryan Blaney in the final seconds of the race. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "How to watch NASCAR at Bristol (5/31) live stream: TV info for Supermarket Heroes 500," 31 May 2020 At the end of 100 laps, however, Dreyfus hadn't just taken the checkered flag. — Neal Bascomb, Car and Driver, "The Pioneering Rally Driver Who Beat the Nazis," 31 May 2020 Few cars and even fewer storefronts are flying checkered flags from their doors and windows. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Is it May yet? No. But it's on the way.," 12 May 2020 Walsh has a checkered record of inflammatory comments that could complicate any potential role in reaching out to moderates. — Fox News, "Joe Walsh, former Tea Partier, says he’d support ‘socialist’ over Trump after dropping primary bid," 7 Feb. 2020

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.