clunker

noun

clunk·​er ˈkləŋ-kər 

1

: an old or badly working piece of machinery

especially : a dilapidated automobile

2

: someone or something notably unsuccessful

told a joke that was a real clunker

Synonyms of clunker

• crate

Examples of clunker in a Sentence

My first car was an old clunker that kept breaking down.

That joke was a real clunker.

The director's recent films have all been clunkers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Especially after a clunker of a season in 2025, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson won’t settle for anything other than maniacal attention to detail on and off the field. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 28 July 2026

The album is strikingly consistent, with no true clunker in the bunch, though some tunes are more memorable than others. — ABC News, 8 July 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clunker

• dunker
• hunker
• junker