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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suboptimal
None of these goals can be realized following the suboptimal landing, but data returned from MAPP's time in transit to the moon, in lunar orbit and on the surface validated a range of systems and components that will be useful for Lunar Orbit's upcoming missions.
—
Andrew Jones, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Given suboptimal vaccine rates among children in Texas and rising vaccine hesitancy in the United States, clear and effective message is crucial in curbing the spread of measles.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Basically every Ranger looked bad, which seems suboptimal.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Inevitably, that leads to suboptimal solutions with less efficiency and scalability.
—Natan Linder, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Andrew Jones, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Given suboptimal vaccine rates among children in Texas and rising vaccine hesitancy in the United States, clear and effective message is crucial in curbing the spread of measles.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Basically every Ranger looked bad, which seems suboptimal.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Inevitably, that leads to suboptimal solutions with less efficiency and scalability.
—Natan Linder, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suboptimal
Adjective
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Shapiro told reporters at a news conference on April 16 that regardless of the motivation for the crime, political violence must be condemned as unacceptable in our society.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Any format that builds in a conflict of interest is unacceptable.—
Robert Greene,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.—
Maxim Sytch,
Harvard Business Review,
18 Apr. 2025
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But academic research has consistently demonstrated that stadiums are poor drivers of economic growth and an analysis published last month found stadium projects spur little growth in local construction industries.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But even one in three Republicans said their cost of living was on the wrong track, according to the poll, which surveyed 4,306 U.S. adults nationwide between April 16 and April 21.—
Jason Lange,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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But the product labels gave away that something was wrong: Product of China, many of them read in Mandarin.—
Karen Yuan,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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That means more time for Rojas, who has shown more bad than good to begin this season.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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The first questions from out-of-staters are, 'How bad are the hurricanes?—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Mount Zion Road/Columbia Hollow bridge was part of the 2017 county bridge plan to replace 15 bridges deemed structurally deficient by the Arkansas Department of Transportation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Apr. 2025
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The formula includes vitamin D, another nutrient that many are deficient in, which can boost immunity, support bone health and promote a healthy gut microbiome.—
Emily Burns,
WWD,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In April 2024, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, ruling that the original trial was flawed due to the inclusion of testimony from three additional accusers who were not part of the charges.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
18 Apr. 2025
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The similarly futile attempts to portray John Walker as a flawed but good man, despite his callous rage and murderous tendencies?—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suboptimal. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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