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
An adoption of a fictitious docudrama style, where scenarios are created for the show’s cast, brought in more subpar episodes which many feel didn’t help the cause.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
At each stop on their four-day journey, the Black man was degraded and sent away to eat and sleep where he would not be seen and where conditions would be subpar.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Fields’ passing was subpar during the windy, rainy weather two weeks ago.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
But those developments can’t fully mitigate a seriously subpar year from Mookie Betts, a step back by Freddie Freeman and Michael Conforto’s nightmare season in left.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
At each stop on their four-day journey, the Black man was degraded and sent away to eat and sleep where he would not be seen and where conditions would be subpar.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Fields’ passing was subpar during the windy, rainy weather two weeks ago.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
But those developments can’t fully mitigate a seriously subpar year from Mookie Betts, a step back by Freddie Freeman and Michael Conforto’s nightmare season in left.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
In an interview, Pryor said the deputy's actions were unacceptable given the subject's age, regardless of how the series of events truly unfolded.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The critiques have only intensified with each year that passes since the team’s last Super Bowl victory in 1996, with Jones calling the drought unacceptable at the NFL owners meeting earlier this year.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Additionally, over-saturating with water is a poor choice for these floors.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Specifically, poor capital allocation decisions have destroyed significant value.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
16 Aug. 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
-
Some Republicans, like Newsom rival Rep. Kiley, argue that all mid-decade redistricting – whether in Texas, California or some other state – is wrong.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The guardrails that kept you from chasing the wrong opportunities.—
Ken Polk,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Umbro have taken a ‘back to basics’ approach with West Ham’s kits this year, which absolutely does not mean bad.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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This is all made much, much worse by the fact that Claire’s parents end up time-travelling . . .—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Aid distribution in Gaza has not always been this deficient, or fatal.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
26 July 2025
-
The 11 dimensions of character can manifest in deficient and excess states as shown in Table 1.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Whether your team is in the middle of a winning run or mired in terrible form, five minutes looking at the standings can convince you that a hundred different futures are possible.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The sandwich, featuring ground meat—generally beef—suspended in a thick, sweet tomatoey sauce, has become an avatar of the horrible school lunch, a cliché that tends to go along with hairnets, greasy aprons, and other elements of canteen grotesquerie.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
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The stories have overflowed with a horrible, glorious narrative abundance.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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