clunkers

noun

plural of clunker
1
as in crates
a dilapidated old automobile she drove a clunker because she couldn't afford anything better

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in disasters
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

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 clunkers The Connecticut rapper’s debut swings from tongue-in-cheek provocations to slam-poetry clunkers, landing a few solid punchlines and pop hooks along the way. — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026 That means plenty of clunkers, even when teams are decent. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026 Same goes for Sonny Gray (two quality starts, two 4-inning clunkers), Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello (both two bad games followed by a gem). — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026 The Master of Suspense has several winners in his filmography, as well as a few clunkers. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026 Despite Tuesday’s outing, his early clunkers may have already sunk his chances to make the team. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026 Of course, Thoma Bravo has some clunkers like any other private equity firm. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026 That is, if clunkers like Monday don’t become the norm. — Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026 But nearly every major positive even has been met with its share of clunkers. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunkers
  1. crates
  2. disasters
  3. failures
  4. disappointments
  5. losers
  6. bombs
  7. catastrophes
Noun
  • The family member had retrieved Molano’s vehicle and found the five large crates of cinnamon rolls inside.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Four Paws handlers trained many of the lions and tigers to enter the crates voluntarily.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of crates
Noun
  • Being able to better understand these trends and know what tools will be available to manage them could thus do much to shore up food networks and prepare for disasters.
    — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
  • China is often slow to release complete information on the death toll of major disasters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of disasters
Noun
  • Summary The Lindsay Clancy case, involving postpartum psychosis, highlights critical gaps in maternal health support and systemic failures.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Fifty years on, these songs capture the feelings and failures not of Los Angeles but of America, too.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of failures
Noun
  • The opportunities for the Minnesota Twins were plentiful late Wednesday night, and so too were the disappointments.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the market's biggest stocks could be vulnerable to earnings disappointments, according to Wolfe Research.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappointments
Noun
  • Four of the last seven Super Bowl losers missed the playoffs the next season, including the last two (the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers).
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Here’s a look at how the global economy has weathered the war — and the winners and losers.
    — Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of losers
Noun
  • In 2023, roadway bombs planted by drug cartels in the western Jalisco state killed six people and injured another 14.
    — María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly 40% of Russia's federal spending is allocated to defense and security, supporting the production of bombs and tanks that are sent directly to the frontlines.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of bombs
Noun
  • That didn’t stop catastrophes like the 2018 fire in the Sierra foothills that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Experts warn that catastrophes like this are likely to happen again because rising temperatures in the Himalayas, which are warming faster than the global average, destabilize the region's 60,000 glaciers and trigger more avalanches.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophes

Browse Nearby Words

clunker
clunkers
clunking
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Cite this Entry

“Clunkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunkers. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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