as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substandard
People who know how substandard these homes are don’t voluntarily go there.
—
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
To normies, this abrogation of procedure and consensus is the route to a shitty, substandard building.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Cyclists may ride two or more abreast in a substandard width lane – defined as a lane that is too narrow for a bike and vehicle to travel safely side-by-side – if the lane doesn't allow for vehicles to safely pass bikes.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
To normies, this abrogation of procedure and consensus is the route to a shitty, substandard building.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Cyclists may ride two or more abreast in a substandard width lane – defined as a lane that is too narrow for a bike and vehicle to travel safely side-by-side – if the lane doesn't allow for vehicles to safely pass bikes.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
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Ultimately, this will mean more encampments, more preventable deaths in the streets, and more individuals and families with no other option but to live in unsafe and unacceptable conditions.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Not ready for prime time Amazon’s Prime Video losing its feed in overtime of the Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat play-in game was unacceptable for a streaming network that deems itself big time.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Braves couldn’t overcome a poor start from Reynaldo López and saw their six-game winning streak fall by the wayside in an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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In the days leading up to his fatal overdose, Prince was in poor health and was forced to cancel shows in Atlanta.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps the owner’s unexpected absence was an indication that the rumors about my imminent demise were wrong and that things were not so certain.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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After a week where everything that could have gone wrong did and the noise surrounding the club threatened to swallow the team whole, the Red Sox finally broke their four-game slide in grand fashion and got to enjoy a nice, drama-free win.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
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Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Clover naturally fixes nitrogen-deficient soil and improves soil fertility, which helps nearby plants.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
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If muscles remain depleted and incompletely repaired, each practice starts with a deficient muscular system.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The combination of a shaky bullpen and even worse infield defense harmed the Twins multiple times during the team’s current four-game losing streak.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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To be unreasonable is to be a bad survivalist.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The high-flying version of the Avs has yet to arrive in this series, but the defensively-sound edition backed by strong goaltending continues to be enough against an inferior Kings club.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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In these three scenarios, then, the money market account is inferior in two of them, while the returns will be identical for the shorter, 3-month option.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Hubble famously launched to LEO with a flawed mirror, which was fixed by astronauts during a servicing mission in 1993.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Policymakers should be focused on unwinding this deeply flawed legacy, not doubling down on it.—
Elaine Parker,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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