flunking 1 of 2

flunking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of flunk

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 flunking
Verb
Hannah starts flunking tests, missing class, and becomes totally subsumed in Melanie’s world and her instructor’s investment in her. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 June 2026 Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form. — CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026 Or the employee cafeteria in the chains’ corporate overlord’s headquarters flunking an inspection? — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026 By the end of the eighth grade, Ben—now out as gay—was flunking every class. — Longreads, 3 Feb. 2026 For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026 Conservatives, with few exceptions, united behind her, arguing the controversy was an example of a left-wing instructor flunking a student over their Christian beliefs. — Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025 The coursework was intense, and the two struggled, even flunking some classes. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025 Like the Phillies, they were weakened by a key player — ex-Padre Jurickson Profar — being suspended 80 games for flunking a PED test. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunking
Adjective
  • The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court, which all got failing grades in last year's survey, saw the biggest gains.
    — Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
    — Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • With the Bears trailing the Steelers 17-14 in the fourth quarter, Ditka caught a short pass and broke eight tackles before collapsing to the turf after a 63-yard gain that set up the tying field goal.
    — Ira Kaufman, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Merging with a magnetar All neutron stars are created the same way from the collapsing core of a massive star, but not all neutron stars are equal.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The tall foliage of bearded iris (Iris germanica) begins flopping early in the growing season.
    — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The fish looks straight at me, flopping sluggishly from side to side.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Another group of fourth graders in Texas came up with the idea to deploy AI to identify and locate missing students in an emergency like a fire or school lockdown.
    — Kiryn Hoffman, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Days into their expedition, the team searching for Amelia Earhart’s missing plane is battling severe weather — and racing to identify a mysterious object that could finally solve the aviator's disappearance.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But while most young people are struggling to land their first opportunity, some have jumped the line by building their own small businesses and startups—and young founders are now ramping up hiring even as companies across industries slow theirs.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The film includes flashbacks to his time in the war and features a parallel story about his young carer struggling to make ends meet.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunking. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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