1
as in mistakes
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
a documentary that had such clinkers as a reference to Iran as an Arab nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disasters
something that has failed
all of the toy company's new offerings for the Christmas season proved to be clinkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 clinkers
Modern brick kilns are designed to minimize or eliminate clinkers.
—
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
But there are no outright clinkers in the bunch, either.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
But there are no outright clinkers in the bunch, either.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinkers
Noun
-
Find the groups without making four mistakes.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Lahren opened the discussion by contrasting today’s climate with the past, noting that traditional PR cleanup has been replaced by a mass horde looking to end lives over minor mistakes.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Through skill, sacrifice and professionalism, our first responders have narrowly avoided major disasters, including the recent high-rise fire in Towson that could have ended far worse without rapid response and coordination on scene.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
-
That could leave states on the hook for millions of dollars to rebuild roads, schools and other infrastructure after tornadoes, floods and other disasters that do not cause enough widespread damage to meet the new criteria for federal assistance.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The set was an emotional roller coaster with four deuces and eight service errors by the Highlanders.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Hawai’i scored in bunches, while unforced errors hurt Long Beach.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Many failures can be offset by a single success, which means this form of investing is likely to result in major innovation.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
But that Panarin trade doesn’t erase the team’s missteps to that point, like the decision to run it back with Jim Hiller despite last postseason’s failures.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Although the mom of four appeared to spend the rest of her night faux pas-free, she's had to handle sartorial blunders before.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
There were other conspicuous blunders, like passing from midair out of jumpers and right to Lakers defenders.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
That the precise prose of this account, and numerous other anecdotes, is written with the kind of titanic certainty that would sway a jury is expected; what’s surprising, however, is Crenshaw’s candor in revealing her vulnerability and disappointments.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Breakouts would reinforce the prevailing uptrend, while disappointments could trigger near-term volatility and bring support levels in focus.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So cement block replaced bricks for the bones of a building?—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
The idea goes back decades, to when Zadikian was working in Iran with art dealer Tony Shafrazi and became fixated on the way laborers stacked clay bricks, repeating the same gesture over and over until something larger took shape.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The administration and non-proliferation experts have largely focused on the Islamic Republic’s atomic weapons facilities that use uranium as the material for building nuclear bombs.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
Use of inert bombs – or bombs with a small yield – could explain the lack of a large explosions or secondary blasts that an explosive warhead could cause, analysts said.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clinkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinkers. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
