as in failing
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Dissimilar Words
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful
the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of flunking
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.
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CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Or the employee cafeteria in the chains’ corporate overlord’s headquarters flunking an inspection?
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David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
By the end of the eighth grade, Ben—now out as gay—was flunking every class.
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Longreads,
3 Feb. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
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Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
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Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 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.
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Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
14 Dec. 2025
The coursework was intense, and the two struggled, even flunking some classes.
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Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
Hannah starts flunking tests, missing class, and becomes totally subsumed in Melanie’s world and her instructor’s investment in her.
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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
For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunking
Adjective
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The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
Verb
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Everything is collapsing around them, but Richie has a plan.
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This process is collapsing the filmmaking process into fewer steps, Amazon Web Services’ General Manager of Media and Entertainment Samira Bakhtiar said in an interview.
Verb
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This lacecap hydrangea dazzles with electric blue flowers atop compact, sturdy stems that resist flopping in the garden.
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Plus, the minuscule fines, when they are applied, aren't going to deter millionaires from flopping to get cheap free throws.
Verb
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His one big lament was missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
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Mexican authorities released missing person flyers for the couple, who lived in Chicago and Oak Park for decades, and moved to Mexico last fall.
Verb
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The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country’s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
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The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
Cite this Entry
“Flunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunking. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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