1
as in disaster
something that has failed
our first attempt was a complete dud, so we had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 dud
Vivienne Walt, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 June 2025
Still, the individual episodes that do carry the season are weighed down by the duds.
—Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dud
Noun
The group has had big wins, but has also faced a string of dud votes in recent years.
—Vivienne Walt, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Following an eight-point dud in Game 5, Haliburton picked up four assists in Saturday’s first quarter but went scoreless on four shot attempts.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 June 2025
Still, the individual episodes that do carry the season are weighed down by the duds.
—Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dud
Noun
-
By ordering these strikes, Trump acted without congressional approval and in contradiction to his campaign promise to avoid the kind of disasters experienced in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
22 June 2025
-
One of the factors that exacerbated the Chernobyl disaster was a design flaw within the nuclear reactor that exploded, Bernstein said, adding that the design is no longer used.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
The challenge has always been to figure out how to personalize things without spending inordinate amounts of time and money mapping out every possible path a student might take.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
-
As a business owner, higher profit margins, all other things being equal, are more valuable.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
That leads estate planners to recommend to some clients an intentionally defective grantor trust (IDGT).—
Bob Carlson,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The parts planning team, which uses a separate system with different data, mistakenly orders a big batch of the now defective parts before getting the update.—
Sean O'Neill,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Both sets of parents would have surely been willing to help with rent and whatever else was needed for the baby’s well-being, but the couple agreed that asking them for money at this age constituted a failure too great to stomach.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
-
Officials said that the situation at Harvard represents not simply a failure to address specific incidents, but a structural climate that has allowed antisemitism to persist, prompting government intervention to uphold civil rights standards.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The children were last seen wearing traditional FLDS clothing, ABC4 reported.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
The advisory suggested limiting strenuous activity from early morning to evening, wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing and staying out of the sun.—
Emma Moon,
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Moving is consistently considered one of the most stressful life events, and a lot of this has to do with the sheer amount of stuff involved.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
-
There would be nightclub stuff happening in the evenings.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Since 2023, there have been mechanisms by which second division, or Liga Expansión, teams can join Liga MX — through meeting certain criteria — but the system is complicated, woolly and unsatisfactory.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Conventional assumptions held that Israel will refrain from any action until those negotiations either failed altogether or concluded in unsatisfactory fashion—and that, if a deal with the Islamic Republic was struck, no Israeli military action would be forthcoming at all.—
Ilan Berman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
He was drafted #9 and hasn't been a disappointment, so.... K Kip L. · 1h 4m ago Have fun replacing a 60 point center for 5 million.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
Clark tried to erase the memories of his disappointment at Oakmont with an opening round 6-under 64 on Thursday, putting him tied for second in the early afternoon.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dud. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share