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

Relevance
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
  • In a recent trial at Siemens’ electronics plant in Erlangen, a British start-up’s wheeled humanoid robot successfully handled warehouse crates using physical AI technology.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 28 July 2026
  • Store toys, pet crates, and office supplies elsewhere for a cleaner, more functional room.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 28 July 2026
Definition of crates
Noun
  • These factors make its impacts somewhat of a wild card, experts say, with the effects of global warming acting in concert with El Niño to heighten the severity of heat waves and other disasters.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The organization was created by a group of BBQ pitmasters after the deadly 2011 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, with the purpose of feeding communities after disasters.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disasters
Noun
  • The suit alleges that several key components of hospital protocol were ignored or improperly followed and that those failures directly contributed to the actor’s death.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The failures of England’s previous generations were multi-faceted, but how much did the national culture feed into the acceptance of their behaviour?
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of failures
Noun
  • And yet, more often than not, modern-day biopic films are disappointments, inert movies that fall into the same narrative traps, leaving audiences cold.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Buyers, wary of past disappointments, prioritize safety and trust, often choosing the individual who feels most reliable, even if not the most skilled.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappointments
Noun
  • The losers of the quarterfinals can still secure a spot in the Women's World Cup.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Critics, including some Republicans and economists, warn against the state picking winners and losers.
    — James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of losers
Noun
  • Russia is launching around 220 glide bombs every day against settlements near the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a social media post Friday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But decades of asymmetric warfare in the Middle East, in which the United States relied largely on drones and bombs, had led some to believe the days of artillery battles were waning.
    — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of bombs
Noun
  • Of course, this growing mass constitutes a serious threat to the ocean ecosystem, not to mention the environmental catastrophes regularly caused by tanker accidents themselves.
    — Alexander Klose, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
  • Insurance is a risk mitigation product, and insurance carriers may choose not to renew with you in case of sustained catastrophes.
    — Kumar Rupesh, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of catastrophes

Browse Nearby Words

clunker
clunkers
clunking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clunkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunkers. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All