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as in disaster
something that has failed
a real clunker, the movie was soon littering the shelves of video stores everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clunker
In an 82-game season, every team is going to put up a clunker.
—
Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
What no one saw coming was a breakthrough performance by East Carolina and the accompanying clunker of an outing from UNT.
—Brett Vito Jan 23, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Reiner had a Midas touch for years, but The Story of Us was the third of four clunkers in a row for him — and more proof that his once-formidable ability to tap into universal themes was starting to slip away.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
The Steelers, meanwhile, are in first place after Baltimore’s Thanksgiving night clunker.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clunker
Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
What no one saw coming was a breakthrough performance by East Carolina and the accompanying clunker of an outing from UNT.
—Brett Vito Jan 23, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Reiner had a Midas touch for years, but The Story of Us was the third of four clunkers in a row for him — and more proof that his once-formidable ability to tap into universal themes was starting to slip away.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
The Steelers, meanwhile, are in first place after Baltimore’s Thanksgiving night clunker.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clunker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunker
Noun
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This lick mat is designed to help reduce your pup's anxiety and boredom in the crate.—
Jessica Moore,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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There’s a two-story vaulted window with a view of the hillside, a keyboard, a sofa, crates for when Fleming drives up with his three rescue dogs (Daysy, Erik, and Luchie, two pit mixes and a miniature poodle), and a vintage Mork & Mindy poster on the wall.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Such lack of vision — or ample self-delusion — propelled Americans to disaster in Iraq, even with some competent advisers in the White House.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
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Leaving Polis off the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Democrats continued to criticize the White House for its failure to provide a clear and consistent rationale for launching the war.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The emergencies included a patient with a life-threatening diabetes complication called diabetic ketoacidosis and a patient going into respiratory failure.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But economists expressed disappointment over the government’s limited stimulus.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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Planners and floral designers, for example, note that photos produced by AI can often lead to disappointment for their clients.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The loss was the latest in a frustrating season for the Rebels, losers of seven games by seven points or less after reaching the Sweet 16 in last season’s NCAA Tournament.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Stocks of airlines, including American Airlines, United and Delta, were some of Monday's biggest losers on Wall Street, and shares of all three slipped about 3% in Tuesday's premarket trading.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunker. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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