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
For the first time in his life, Kevin was flunking classes — bizarre for a math nerd and high school salutatorian.
—
Ellen Barry, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
What is a bit surprising is that the loss was the third consecutive time the Steelers have faced a big test — and completely flunked it.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Ruth used that run-in to inform Franks of why Gibbs flunked his psych eval, and to call him on the carpet for dodging the boy’s calls/visits.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
The Eagles will be a measuring stick During a 27-13 loss that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate, the Steelers flunked that test.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Ellen Barry, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
What is a bit surprising is that the loss was the third consecutive time the Steelers have faced a big test — and completely flunked it.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Ruth used that run-in to inform Franks of why Gibbs flunked his psych eval, and to call him on the carpet for dodging the boy’s calls/visits.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
The Eagles will be a measuring stick During a 27-13 loss that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate, the Steelers flunked that test.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunk
Verb
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Lin, its inventor, was born in 1895 in southern China during the tail end of a failing Qing dynasty.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
5 July 2025
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According to court documents obtained by the Charlotte Observer, the office found the commission failed to provide the bar with sufficient notice within five days of a April 30 deadline as required by the new statute before canceling the business’s ABC permits.—
Nora O’Neill
July 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 July 2025
Verb
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When stress hit, the house of cards collapsed, and failures cascaded like dominoes, wiping out billions in customer funds.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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That’s how a building managed to go without a critical earthquake retrofit for more than a century before its brick walls collapsed in 2003.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Verb
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Staking helps protect tall or large-flowered dahlias from breakage and flopping over, especially after rain or strong wind.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 July 2025
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Some species will flop over when grown in rich soils.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Brand, Reputation And Crisis Dashboards Boards track financial, cyber and operational risk but often miss brand equity and corporate reputation.—
Toby Wong,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Pike was reported missing on Jan. 27, and her remains were discovered on Feb. 14.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunk. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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