1
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
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Recent Examples of clunkers
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
For players like Boutte and slot receiver DeMario Douglas, 2023 draftees who were around for both of New England’s 4-13 clunkers, this run has been especially rewarding.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2026
Philadelphia’s issue is that the clunkers come too often.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 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
Key reprogrammers can be hooked into plugs behind panels of modern cars — from the expensive and stylish to clunkers — and are used to aid owners who’ve lost their keys.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
Its slim, vertical design also stands out among a field of countertop clunkers.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
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
For players like Boutte and slot receiver DeMario Douglas, 2023 draftees who were around for both of New England’s 4-13 clunkers, this run has been especially rewarding.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2026
Philadelphia’s issue is that the clunkers come too often.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 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
Key reprogrammers can be hooked into plugs behind panels of modern cars — from the expensive and stylish to clunkers — and are used to aid owners who’ve lost their keys.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
Its slim, vertical design also stands out among a field of countertop clunkers.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunkers
Noun
-
They can be used to line kennels and crates, plus provide comfy recovery spaces.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The entrance to Valley View Elementary School in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights resembles a food pantry these days, with cabinets filled with cans of food products and plastic crates brimming with children’s clothes.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The next commissioner must prepare for more frequent disasters while managing long term coastal erosion.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The February 2021 freeze became one of the deadliest and costliest disasters in state history.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The city of Malibu sued the state and the city and county of Los Angeles and other entities on Wednesday, accusing them of various failures that led to the start and proliferation of the Palisades fire that destroyed hundreds of Malibu homes along with municipal facilities and infrastructure.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Federal regulators are shutting down more than 550 commercial driving schools nationwide after finding unqualified instructors, inadequate testing and other safety failures.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There is something disorienting about treading water as your date catalogues their personal disappointments, each one hitting like a splash from the diving board.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And captured the essence of a player who traveled a road filled with disappointments and setbacks but always believed in himself.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The public and private markets have decided that infrastructure companies and the top model developers are the AI winners, while software companies are the likely losers, regardless of how strong their businesses may look today.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Investors are starting to pick AI winners and losers.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Just hours after bombs began raining down on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, two FBI agents arrived unannounced at Nikki Nojima Louis’ home in Seattle’s Japantown.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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On Tuesday morning, Russian planes dropped seven powerful glide bombs on Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, killing an 11-year-old girl and her mother, according to regional chief Vadym Filashkin.—
EMMA BURROWS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While Scarry’s books present such catastrophes with bright colors and good humor, Gomez undermines this cheer by superimposing on the mural a nearly all-black painting of a desolate tent encampment in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton fire.—
Sharon Mizota,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clunkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunkers. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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