as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least

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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 After all those subpar seasons, Lea’s 6-1 Vanderbilt squad, led by Heisman hopeful Diego Pavia, seems to be on pace for the College Football Playoff. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025 The city allegedly accused the contractor of subpar work and demanded more than $1 million in penalties, but the judge ruled that Beador had met its contractual obligations and that the delays were not the company’s fault. Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025 Polarizing in subpar extractions, but extremely magnetic and alluring in stellar ones. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025 That can be true for even the most elite of units, sometimes against subpar offenses. Jim Root, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
  • Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.
    Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Hufanga deemed that first-quarter Jeanty touchdown unacceptable because any touchdown is unacceptable at this point to Denver’s defense.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The Ministry of Environment blamed this year’s surge on a poor acorn harvest – which drove a similar spate of attacks in 2023.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Rather, the slow start (by Ovechkin’s standards) to this season seemed due more to poor puck luck.
    Sean Gentille, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • As analysis, that’s not wrong, but where’s the sting of it inside this bizarre bonbon of a musical?
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Despite his brilliance and intellect, he was prevented from having a full life by being born on the wrong side of Israel’s separation fence.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The flowers are the best, even if the leaves are lame and flop over.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, raising fears of evacuations in Tehran while threatening the regime’s stability and nuclear ambitions, according to a leading environmental expert.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Keeping bad things out of my body.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Do a Soil Test Plant experts recommend testing garden soil at least once every 3 years to make sure the soil hasn’t become nutrient-deficient or developed a pH imbalance that may interfere with plant growth.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Hamant, a California native in her senior year, was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer in April after suffering symptoms such as shortness of breath and a persistent cough, according to The Seattle Times.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2025
  • History is full of cases where great bands make terrible records, yet history stands speechless at what the Clash accomplished here.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The New York native collected Golden Globe and Spirit awards for her performance as the title character, an aging Czechoslovakian actress forced to take a stand-in job in a horrible off-Broadway play, in Anna.
    Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Gano opening up about this comes on a horrible day for the football world after Dallas Cowboys second-year linebacker Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide at the age of 24.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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