as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of substandard Other states with a substandard balance of payments include California, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah and Illinois. Tobias Burns, The Hill, 2 June 2025 The improvements of the Knicks, combined with a substandard night from the Pacers, led to a blowout. Tony East, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025 The substandard detention conditions and complete dismantling of humanitarian release are counter to current law, inhumane, and expensive. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, an aging, but still useful stadium will sit, basically vacant, while the University of Maryland, just a few exits up the Capital Beltway, is trying to compete in the Big Ten in a substandard ramshackle football stadium completed in 1950. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, an unacceptable state of affairs persists.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
  • Sending everything to centralized clouds for processing often introduces unacceptable lag, measured in lost opportunities, safety risks or operational disruptions.
    Sven Oehme, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
  • The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.
    Emily Scarr, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • One of the company’s big assumptions about the phone had turned out to be wrong.
    Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 5 July 2025
  • However, according to the Baseball Rules Academy, the umpires got the call wrong.
    Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • If a person is not deficient in iron, too much iron can cause significant problems.5 3.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 23 June 2025
  • Noted: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D.
    Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • After several months of strong economic news but incredibly weak consumer sentiment, America is starting to see those trends reverse: The vibes are on the rebound, but evidence is mounting that the economy is getting worse.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 28 June 2025
  • In your garden, stink bugs can be a real bad problem...
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • His main opponent in the primary was a deeply flawed yet mainstream candidate.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
  • The event series is based on The Old Testament’s Book of Genesis and told through the eyes of the courageous and passionate yet flawed women whose descendants would shape three of the world’s great faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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