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 Four Paws handlers trained many of the lions and tigers to enter the crates voluntarily.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Additional images showed rescue crews searching the boat in protective gear and carrying cats off the vessel in crates.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of crates
Noun
  • Wildfires, earthquakes, severe storms and other disasters can leave little time to gather supplies or figure out where to go, so planning ahead can make all the difference.
    — Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Flores experienced one of the country’s deadliest disasters in 1992, when an earthquake and ensuing tsunami killed about 2,500 people.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of disasters
Noun
  • The failures of Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns’ major offseason shakeup are felt most acutely at first base and second base.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Equipment failures, especially of pavers, can pose setbacks during resurfacing.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of failures
Noun
  • In retrospect, Richardson-Whitfield believes some of those disappointments were necessary to put her on the path toward directing.
    — Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of disappointments
Noun
  • The winners and the losers Like any economic policy, tariffs won’t benefit all parties.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Payouts for the runner-up and semifinal losers have also declined relative to the overall purse in the past decade.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of losers
Noun
  • Stephanie Leshney, founder of Dabble & Dollop, harnessed her more than two decades in the natural ingredient industry to create her line of minimal ingredients, especially bath bombs.
    — Faye Brookman, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Witnesses say fighter jets dropped two bombs minutes apart on Swel Le Oh village, near Mandalay, as more than 100 worshipers gathered, forcing survivors to flee after cremating victims.
    — Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of bombs
Noun
  • The contrast is a reminder of the differences between the neighboring nations — their political systems, resources and the strength of their institutions — and a demonstration of how those can take on life-or-death importance in catastrophes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, envisions building space habitats that could house billions as a solution to environmental catastrophes on Earth.
    — Marissa E. Yingling, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophes

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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 22 Aug. 2026.

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