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
  • If scar tissue is too severe, if prior surgeries have left the blood supply compromised, or if a patient's goals aren't achievable without unacceptable risk, proceeding could cause irreversible damage.
    Victoria Oliva, Allure, 23 June 2026
  • Yes, Stokes’ late night out, in the context of what went on before, was unacceptable.
    Nasser Hussain, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Because of that, these hands suffer from high production costs, poor durability against impacts, short operational lifespans, and there are no existing solutions that engineers can readily draw upon, Wang added.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
  • The extreme heat can also affect people who are physically ill, especially those with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Something told me that there was something wrong.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 28 June 2026
  • The interest rate hypothesis points the wrong direction — the most rate-sensitive occupations, like construction, have the lowest AI exposure.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 June 2026
Adjective
  • On paper, some of the six, all of whom are far-right conservatives, have enviable educational backgrounds, but the record has proven that each one is openly political and willing to rubber-stamp nearly all of DeSantis’ lame and unconstitutional policies.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026
  • 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
Adjective
  • About 220,000 need major repair or replacement, and 41,677 are rated poor, also called structurally deficient.
    Alex Krasnok, Scientific American, 25 June 2026
  • What is often misunderstood is that any of these virtuous behaviors can manifest as deficient vices when underdeveloped and as excess vices when strong but unsupported by the other 10 character dimensions, as evidenced by Steve Jobs.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • In two randomized trials conducted by Stanford economist Nick Bloom, for example, workers reported improved mental health, not worse.
    Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • Heavy rain was bad enough, but lightning in the area is, obviously, nothing to be trifled with.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Against Australia in the last 16, Argentina were again labouring when faced with an inferior opponent, digging in and determined to spoil their World Cup dreams.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 June 2026
  • Uruguay tied again, this time a 2-2 stalemate against another adversary that less than two weeks ago, pretty much every soccer pundit would have deemed inferior.
    Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • The cause was not a cyberattack but a flawed software update, and that is precisely the point.
    Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • But this Administration is not interested in making a flawed system work better.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.

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