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
That can be true for even the most elite of units, sometimes against subpar offenses.
—
Jim Root, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
After a pair of subpar performances in recent days, Messi was back to his usual self against the Revolution.
—Franco Panizo, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
And Kelce is having another subpar night, with only two catches for four yards so far.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
To be fair to Swayman and Korpisalo, that had to factor into the goaltenders’ subpar numbers.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Jim Root, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
After a pair of subpar performances in recent days, Messi was back to his usual self against the Revolution.
—Franco Panizo, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
And Kelce is having another subpar night, with only two catches for four yards so far.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
To be fair to Swayman and Korpisalo, that had to factor into the goaltenders’ subpar numbers.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
-
Denying people the essentials necessary for their survival, to obtain compliance or a political agreement, should be unacceptable.—
Anna Halford,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Controversy arose earlier this year after residents, a council member and the mayor declared a cooling station set up for homeless residents and others without adequate heating and cooling as unacceptable.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s another element of the current concern regarding due process that relates to the fate of poor Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
McDaniel’s debut album Lost Ones delves into his own story of growing up in a poor community in Kentucky, and dealing with mental health struggles, both personally and within his family — as well as McDaniel’s story of being saved during a past suicide attempt years ago.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Watters said letting visitors toss vegetables through the fence could send the wrong message, normalizing the idea of being close enough to feed a bear.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
New York Giants star rookie running back Cam Skattebo was the talk of the NFL world on Sunday for all the wrong reasons after going down with what appears to be a season-ending leg or ankle injury in the team's Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
FarmVille wasn’t bad, but something was missing.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The asteroid impact triggered one of the planet's worst mass-extinction events, wiping out all dinosaurs but birds.—
DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In the meantime, Jones has been carrying a run-deficient offense to the tune of 313 yards per game — the most in the NFL.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
At least 1,235 miles of the city’s sidewalks, or about 40%, are considered deficient.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The heiress was involved in a terrible car accident in 1929, which left her with life-long medical issues.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
-
And keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, once Alisson’s backup with Liverpool, has improved after a terrible start.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Inherently, a writer doing historical research is always victim to this horrible irony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
There are some horrible things said on stage by the mystery writer that Tony Carlin plays.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share