as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flunk
By the end of the eighth grade, Ben—now out as gay—was flunking every class.
—
Longreads, 3 Feb. 2026
The company was born from the will of a man who grew up dirt-poor in Baltimore, flunked fifth grade, served in Vietnam and became a billionaire.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Ultragenyx lost more than $1 billion in market value after its bone drug flunked late-stage clinical trials.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Longreads, 3 Feb. 2026
The company was born from the will of a man who grew up dirt-poor in Baltimore, flunked fifth grade, served in Vietnam and became a billionaire.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Ultragenyx lost more than $1 billion in market value after its bone drug flunked late-stage clinical trials.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunk
Verb
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However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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It has been cited seven times by the AQMD since 2012 for such things as failing to report breakdowns and failing to maintain a system that measures and records temperatures.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The double-decker Cypress Street Viaduct of the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland partially collapsed and was never rebuilt.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
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Anderson collapsed and died while being forced to complete a run during his first day at a boot-camp style detention center in 2006.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
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His first attempt, a dystopian fantasy, had flopped.—
Nathan Heller,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
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Their plan flopped spectacularly.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The mother of the other suspect, Clark, reported to police the morning of the shooting that guns had gone missing from her home.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
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After a clean first inning with two strikeouts, Lauer missed down the middle with a fastball to Hunter Goodman, who hit it out for the 12th homer Lauer has given up this season.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunk. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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