as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subpar
Sure, everyone wants to be an early selection, but more often than not, that leads to landing on a subpar team.
—
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2025
Former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo had a subpar year last season, with a .233 batting average and .647 OPS while striking out 93 times in 621 plate appearances.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025
Siakam can get the Pacers going on some nights when their offense is subpar.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
But some bumps in the road are to be expected, and Friday was one of those days for Rea, who turned in a subpar performance in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds before 36,019 at Wrigley Field.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2025
Former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo had a subpar year last season, with a .233 batting average and .647 OPS while striking out 93 times in 621 plate appearances.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025
Siakam can get the Pacers going on some nights when their offense is subpar.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
But some bumps in the road are to be expected, and Friday was one of those days for Rea, who turned in a subpar performance in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds before 36,019 at Wrigley Field.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, an unacceptable state of affairs persists.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
-
Sending everything to centralized clouds for processing often introduces unacceptable lag, measured in lost opportunities, safety risks or operational disruptions.—
Sven Oehme,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
-
Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
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
-
However, according to the Baseball Rules Academy, the umpires got the call wrong.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
-
One of the company’s big assumptions about the phone had turned out to be wrong.—
Verne Kopytoff,
Fortune,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Tom threw batting practice to Jackson, took Ethan down in the garage to vent and hit soft toss after a bad day at school.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
But conditions can be so much worse and the resources can be strained.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
The report alleges a range of major violations plaguing St. Hope Public Schools — including conflicts of interests among its top officers, improper use of public funding, deficient accounting processes and the employment of a largely unqualified teaching staff.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
21 May 2025
-
If a person is not deficient in iron, too much iron can cause significant problems.5 3.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
And because of that, it’s shielded us from the terrible things that happen downstream in the supply chain.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
8 July 2025
-
Vegas bounced back from a terrible loss to the Fever with an 86-68 win over the Sun on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
-
If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share