clunker

noun

clunk·​er ˈkləŋ-kər How to pronounce clunker (audio)
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

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 Tennessee: The Vols followed their worst clunker of the season — scoring just 59 points in a loss at home against South Carolina — with impressive efforts against Kentucky and LSU. Al Lesar, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024 Sure, there were clunkers, but the Packers won several big games before national audiences this season. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2024 And sure, Purdy’s had some clunkers and the offense has sputtered periodically, notably when Samuel isn’t on the field. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 But the company had trouble at the start, gaining an early reputation for building clunkers. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 He’s pumped up his field-goal percentage from 48.9 percent to 57.4 and an 0-for-9 clunker from 3 last season now sits at 39.1 percent. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2024 While rivals O’Reilly Automotive and AutoZone have been supercharged by new car shortages during the pandemic, Advance looks like a clunker propped up on cinder blocks. WSJ, 23 Aug. 2023 Pittman, who answered many questions in the last seven days about the stability of his job after a clunker of a 48-10 home loss to Auburn, seems to understand the situation. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 18 Nov. 2023 There’s been no issues, no clunkers or anything like that. Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clunker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clunker was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near clunker

Cite this Entry

“Clunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clunker. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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