Definition of substandardnext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

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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 substandard The federal government has denied allegations of substandard conditions and accused protesters of inflaming tensions. ABC News, 4 June 2026 Despite to this day being a thriving port city and with so many people so close to the sea, Naples has plenty of substandard fish restaurants. Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 27 May 2026 The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of substandard conditions. Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 27 May 2026 Calling Southern schools for Black children in the first half of the 20th century substandard to those for white children would be a gross insult to the word substandard. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
  • Warsh called that unacceptable and kept saying so.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
  • This proposal is utterly unacceptable.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • These conditions can increase your vulnerability to adverse effects from poor air quality.
    Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Equating the Holocaust to Gaza is in extremely poor taste.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • But the truth may be that Anthropic is wrong about Mythos’ dangers, and that the government is taking a drastic action that could potentially hurt the US in the technology race with China.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 June 2026
  • But it was soon revealed that the actors were given the wrong envelope by accountants from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the firm charged with counting Oscar votes, keeping the results secret and organizing and handing out envelopes to presenters.
    Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan.
    Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
  • At supper the guides exchanged significant glances across the fire and acted like a couple of guys who have picked a lame horse.
    Fred Bear, Outdoor Life, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • In addition to the UC San Diego report, a study at UC Berkeley recently found that at least 20% of first-semester calculus students who took a diagnostic exam between fall 2021 and fall 2023 were deficient.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • Sometimes avocado trees can become deficient in certain types of minerals.
    Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Brunson is at his best when everything is at its worst, blessed with belief that seems at times desperate and determination that can feel almost manic.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • All of the club’s worst seasons prior to 1965 took place from 1932 and before.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • That makes for a more compelling value proposition, useful in daily life, versus a more specialized machine with inferior performance.
    Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 14 June 2026
  • People mock Americans for using the word because the rest of the world likes a chance to make the superpower feel inferior.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • Underneath Carrey’s wild performance, the actor was keen to inject an unlikely slice of empathy into a very flawed character.
    Simon Bland, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
  • Without data that is relatively complete, normalized and updated, AI will present bad information, which can lead to a flawed decision.
    Troy Holaday, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

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