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
While many residents who spoke at Thursday’s meeting agreed that the conditions are subpar and need attention, several criticized a bond as the funding mechanism.
—
Tess Riski
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Supporters, largely Republicans, say the policy accelerates school improvement and expands options for families — especially those in districts with subpar schools.
—Garrett Shanley, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The filter of peer review, meant to weed out subpar science, tends to be more porous with special issues.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
With four veterans and 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz, the Giants finally had a solid offensive line last season after a decade plagued by subpar line play.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Tess Riski
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Supporters, largely Republicans, say the policy accelerates school improvement and expands options for families — especially those in districts with subpar schools.
—Garrett Shanley, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The filter of peer review, meant to weed out subpar science, tends to be more porous with special issues.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
With four veterans and 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz, the Giants finally had a solid offensive line last season after a decade plagued by subpar line play.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
Those parties clinging to the outdated and socially unacceptable business model that relies on selling puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers are no longer welcome in nine states and over 520 localities and some are looking for a new home.—
Annie Hornish,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri denounced the attack as tragic and unacceptable during a visit to the village on Monday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wallace and her collaborators scrambled to get into the water; the whale was swimming in the wrong direction, toward some docks.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
-
What most people get wrong is conflating the theme of the exhibition with the dress code for the evening.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Or worse, to turn it into a sort of prison sentence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Still, from his horns and tattoos to the double-bladed lightsaber, Maul's bad-guy chic was hard to beat.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, a prospective cohort study published in March 2026 found that breast cancer patients with sufficient vitamin D had meaningfully better survival and cardiovascular outcomes — and that 38% of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer were deficient at the time of diagnosis.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
3 May 2026
-
Aston Villa 1-1 Tottenham Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest Again, this is horrible scheduling on a Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, three days before Forest go to Villa for the second leg of that Europa League semi-final.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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