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
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Recent Examples of subpar
The rigorous checks and balances employed by banks and other conventional lenders make the process of authorizing a loan for someone with lower income or subpar credit very expensive.
—
Mari Sato, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
December proved disastrous for LA with a 5-7 record; the team begins 2026 needing defensive improvement and facing mostly subpar competition to reset.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Peel away the crowds, the tourist tax, and the overpriced (and too frequently, subpar) dining, and what’s left?
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2025
Why Sweet Potato Casserole Can Taste Bland Sweet potato casserole is a Southern holiday staple, but some common missteps can leave it tasting pretty subpar.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Mari Sato, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
December proved disastrous for LA with a 5-7 record; the team begins 2026 needing defensive improvement and facing mostly subpar competition to reset.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Peel away the crowds, the tourist tax, and the overpriced (and too frequently, subpar) dining, and what’s left?
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2025
Why Sweet Potato Casserole Can Taste Bland Sweet potato casserole is a Southern holiday staple, but some common missteps can leave it tasting pretty subpar.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
To make large profits from parking fees to make up for his terrible management of tax dollars and his expensive real estate errors should be unacceptable.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
-
In just 24 hours, the president unveiled three massive state interventions into different markets that might’ve once looked—and sounded—like unacceptable levels of socialist dirigisme for a Republican to champion.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The candidacy challenge contends that Wilcox used the wrong form to file for office in December and left off information that was required.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
-
An Amazon driver accompanied by her 16-year-old son came under fire after accidentally stopping at the wrong house in rural North Carolina, according to investigators.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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Your ultra-lame social media posts (with awful production values) don’t cut it by a Colorado mile high.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Under President Biden, the FTC and DOJ slowed large transactions, suggesting that all big businesses were bad businesses.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Miami played well early, taking a 59-54 lead into the break before being undone by turnovers and deficient board work, a torrent of OKC threes and the greatness of defending MVP Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, who fueled a 15-0 third quarter run to put the Thunder ahead by 13.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
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The longstanding bridge, which was deemed structurally deficient, connects downtown to the East Side.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
How Other Parents Reacted to Murphy’s Post The reaction to Murphy’s revelations about his parenting style were mixed, with some commenters offering sympathy, while others more or less accused him of being a terrible father.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
12 Jan. 2026
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And the main thing that Yasmin has in common with her husband—the hapless aristocrat Henry Muck, played by Kit Harington—is their terrible fathers.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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