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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suboptimal
Up for debate is how well NASA’s Artemis mission managers understand the problem and exactly how much risk the suboptimal heat shield poses to the four astronauts slated to launch in a few weeks.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Chronic stress, poor sleep, inconsistent movement, and suboptimal nutrition are common, but often overlooked is the internal load CEOs carry due to unresolved personal strain, isolation, and the pressure of constant responsibility.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Their default mode has been to run out the options clock, which seems entirely suboptimal.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The Apple deal was suboptimal for exposure and probably could have been tolerated financially.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Chronic stress, poor sleep, inconsistent movement, and suboptimal nutrition are common, but often overlooked is the internal load CEOs carry due to unresolved personal strain, isolation, and the pressure of constant responsibility.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Their default mode has been to run out the options clock, which seems entirely suboptimal.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The Apple deal was suboptimal for exposure and probably could have been tolerated financially.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suboptimal
Adjective
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The takeover will continue until the district meets criteria set by the Texas Education Agency, which include exceeding the state and/or regional average for meeting-grade-level proficiency in reading and math, and ensuring the district has no schools unacceptable ratings for multiple years.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
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To have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And that 44-point home victory was with Brandon Miller having a poor shooting night (5 of 15, 13 points).—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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The Dolphins’ struggles during the last decade-plus with Ross signing the checks was a result of poor leadership at the top of the football operations side.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As another election approaches, millions of Floridians can prove just how wrong DeSantis was.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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On isolated occasions a carp has been spotted on the wrong side of the electrical barrier.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This struck me as heartbreakingly lame and, therefore, as a moment of vital consequence.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
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Duke fires the shot that kills the king Dying Tommy insists Duke finish him off with the bullet like a lame horse.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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What's worse are diesel prices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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The family had made the three-day journey west based on reports that autism services in Colorado would be better, but in the upheaval of a move, Ethan had gotten worse and thrown his father into a wall.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Being defensively deficient against the second-best offense in the nation wasn’t a recipe for success.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Drummond asked the court to order the board to issue a new rejection letter detailing all of the reasons the proposal was deficient.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But reporters who spent time probing more deeply into Chavez’s United Farm Workers of America also came to understand that the union’s co-founder was abundantly flawed and frequently not held to account by his allies, a recipe that could lead to trouble.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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The truth is that most diets fail, not because people lack discipline, but because the diet itself is flawed.—
Fred Sassani,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suboptimal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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