1
as in cheese
that which is of low quality or worth
couldn't believe that such junk was chosen to be read for the book club my car is junk—it spends more time in the shop than on the road
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
junk on the side of the road waiting for the trash collection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to dump
to get rid of as useless or unwanted
we'll have to junk this old car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worthless
having no usefulness
that broken watch you're wearing is junky
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheap
of low quality
a junky coat that is sure to fall apart after one winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of junk
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
On average, a piece of space junk the size of Kosmos 482, with a mass of about a half-ton, falls into the atmosphere about once per week.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2025
Vince Beiser, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
This episode of What’s Ahead makes the case for junking the tax code and replacing it with a simple, single-rate system: the flat tax.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
But the film is a total mess, start to finish: a mishmash of It and some military-thriller, monster-movie clichés culminating in a junky special-effects ending that barely makes sense.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for junk
Noun
This particular piece of space junk likely won’t pose a risk to people on the ground.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
On average, a piece of space junk the size of Kosmos 482, with a mass of about a half-ton, falls into the atmosphere about once per week.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2025
Verb
EVs are so new to the market that few have been junked—and even those are often snapped up for uses such as off-grid power storage.
—Vince Beiser, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
This episode of What’s Ahead makes the case for junking the tax code and replacing it with a simple, single-rate system: the flat tax.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Master The Art Of Crafting Strong Prompts Strong prompts separate junky AI outputs from the innovative use of AI tools.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
But the film is a total mess, start to finish: a mishmash of It and some military-thriller, monster-movie clichés culminating in a junky special-effects ending that barely makes sense.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for junk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for junk
Noun
-
Scallions, chili oil, or even a slice of cheese (yes, cheese) elevate the dish from ordinary to indulgent.—
The Learning Network,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
-
Go for the iconic #19, pastrami, swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing on rye.—
David Weiss,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Any actor that’s been working for over three decades has a giant garbage bag filled of pilots.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
-
Bears are generally solitary, shy animals but are food-driven and often find easy meals in garbage bins.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar sold about $21 million worth of Palantir stock, while co-founder and president Stephen Cohen dumped about $43.5 million in shares.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
-
Followers can feel like a kind of currency, built up over years: Some people don’t leave the bar, because they’re invested and don’t want to dump their shares.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Life seems almost worthless in this world, as the lack of interest two federal police officers show in the dead body establishes why Marcelo can’t go to the authorities for help.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
18 May 2025
-
The answer is that American assurances are worthless.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
These technologies could be safer, cheaper, and offer higher energy storage.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
21 May 2025
-
All around the city are free and cheap concerts and events that anyone can sit back and enjoy.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
And oftentimes, these cheap items end up as rubbish.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
-
This never got past the drawing board stage, but the idea kept cropping up again and again with many variations on a circular shape and performance that spanned from interesting to rubbish.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In February 2025, officials noted that although Lake James is safe for swimming and boating in the summer 2025 season, boaters need to take extra caution with remaining debris in the water after Hurricane Helene.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2025
-
On both occasions, the rocket's upper stage shut down its engines prematurely and the vehicle lost control, breaking apart in the upper atmosphere and spreading debris near the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Make sure to discard salsa that was left out at room temperature for over two hours, especially on hot days.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 May 2025
-
Today, House Republicans will move promptly to discard it.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Video
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"
Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk
Cite this Entry
“Junk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junk. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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