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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Recent Examples of flunk
How many times has Meatball Morrissey ally and Norfolk County clerk of courts Walter Timilty flunked the bar exam so far?
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 June 2025
If President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office were graded like an exam, a plurality of Americans would flunk him, according to new polling.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Will the current Supreme Court conclude that Trump’s tariffs also flunk it? N.C.L.A.
—Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025
Of the thousands of flaws in the two reactors, four faults flunked ORNL’s initial simulations.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Nov. 2015
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 June 2025
If President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office were graded like an exam, a plurality of Americans would flunk him, according to new polling.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Will the current Supreme Court conclude that Trump’s tariffs also flunk it? N.C.L.A.
—Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025
Of the thousands of flaws in the two reactors, four faults flunked ORNL’s initial simulations.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Nov. 2015
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunk
Verb
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The Tigers also failed on their lone fourth-down attempt, a fourth-and-5 at the Texas A&M 27.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Horned Frogs outgained Iowa State 432-272, but failed to come out on top as the Cyclones snapped their four-game losing streak.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Those shows come from a time when fisheries were collapsing and regulations meant to save them forced fishermen into a daily sprint to the bottom.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Gilbert is hardly the only celebrity lending their support to Ryder’s Law, which was named after a horse who died in Manhattan in 2022 after collapsing in the August heat.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Lawrence has been open in past interviews about needing to take a two year break from Hollywood after making 16 movies in six years, a string of which flopped at the box office and only inflamed the public’s negative reception of her.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The storm was the deadliest typhoon to hit the country this year, killing at least 114 people, with many more reported missing — most in Cebu province, a tourist hotspot.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Free throws from Trey Murphy III and Saddiq Bey sealed the deal for New Orleans, who were playing without star Zion Williamson, who is scheduled to miss at least a week with a strained hamstring.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunk. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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