1
as in disaster
something that has failed
our first attempt was a complete dud, so we had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clothes
duds plural
covering for the human body
those are some pretty fancy duds you're wearing
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in things
duds plural
transportable items that one owns
you have one hour to pack up your duds and clear out of here
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in defective
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dud
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Sometimes things are too good to be true or simply don't work, but there are nuggets of gold among the duds.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026
Tim Graham, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dud
Noun
It was proven again in Friday’s 119-115 loss to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans, a third straight defensive dud that left center Rudy Gobert calling for extreme measures of accountability.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Sometimes things are too good to be true or simply don't work, but there are nuggets of gold among the duds.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In a dud finale against the Detroit Lions in 1991, Wolford got rolled up and suffered a high-ankle sprain that hobbled him throughout the postseason.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dud
Noun
-
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
-
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the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.—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
-
And upstairs, rooftop bar High Praise keeps things fresh with rotating pop-ups throughout the year.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The little things added up Tuesday.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
During a June 2025 evidentiary hearing, the city of Torrington submitted an objection to the application as defective for lack of notice, records show.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield.—
Tina Nguyen,
The Verge,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Kordia had come to the US first on a tourist visa and then transitioned to a student visa, studying English while working as a waitress and at a clothing store and helping care for her US citizen mother and brother, her attorneys said.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
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Similar items, such as cosmetics and general gender-specific clothing, however, are still available for purchase on the commissary shopping list.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The grand opening Tuesday of the center on the library’s ground floor was a showcase of AI tools and demonstrations from San Jose State students, city departments and partners like LEGO Education, with fun stuff like robots on display.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This is once-in-a-lifetime stuff.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But for clear-air turbulence pilots still rely on reports from other pilots who have already passed through it—an unsatisfactory arrangement for both parties.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Jayapal gave me a long, tight hug, and offered a kind though unsatisfactory response.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But economists expressed disappointment over the government’s limited stimulus.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Dud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dud. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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