ˌsəb-ˈäp-tə-məl
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
yes, living on junk food generally means that you have a suboptimal diet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suboptimal
The Mets are continuing to forge ahead with the team built by Stearns and managed by Mendoza, despite suboptimal results.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
On this mission, NASA flew the Orion capsule with a suboptimal heat shield.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Avoid costly financial moves Planning ahead for financial setbacks reduces the likelihood that you’ll be forced into making a suboptimal decision.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
Cameron is no secret to NCAA circles, but a performance like that on a suboptimal day gave her optimism for the future.
—Cory Mull, Austin American Statesman, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
On this mission, NASA flew the Orion capsule with a suboptimal heat shield.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Avoid costly financial moves Planning ahead for financial setbacks reduces the likelihood that you’ll be forced into making a suboptimal decision.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
Cameron is no secret to NCAA circles, but a performance like that on a suboptimal day gave her optimism for the future.
—Cory Mull, Austin American Statesman, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suboptimal
Adjective
-
What types of answers are unacceptable?—
Prasad Maderamitla,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
If a tool creates unacceptable risk, districts should not use it.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
At this point the Red Sox are in serious danger, and the only reason the club is even within striking distance of a playoff spot is because the rest of the American League has been so poor.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
-
Putumayo is one of Colombia’s poorest and most troubled regions.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Black and white, right and wrong, cut and dried.—
Erika Ettin,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
The Angels brought a one-run lead into the seventh inning, and then just about everything went wrong in a seven-run inning that sent them to an 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
As lame as the fact that an Erewhon smoothie costs $19 is that so many of us need to be paid to be nice to each other.—
Swan Huntley,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
-
Santana tried to jump off the steps to clothesline Maclin but came up a bit lame.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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But that’s made even worse by the fact that a significant portion of these observational studies did not even have a comparison group.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
The views over the city aren’t bad either.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
That’s what health experts now advise, because statistics reveal the sorry fact that 95% of people are deficient in this essential dietary food.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
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Prices of crude oil, a key resource for energy-deficient Europe, slipped and were on track for their first weekly drop in two months.—
Jay Ganglani,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Like the friendships at its core, The Four Seasons is funny, flawed, and occasionally heartbreaking.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
The rank-and-file lawmakers don’t have to roll over and accept this badly flawed budget.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suboptimal. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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