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
This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions.
—
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Historical accounts acknowledge Chavez’s substantial organizational accomplishments, including galvanizing farmworkers across California in the mid-1960s and orchestrating the 1968 grape boycott that brought national attention to agricultural workers’ brutal conditions and substandard wages.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
In her defense, Noem appears particularly sensitive to the discomfort of substandard air travel.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Last fall, the AJC reported on the substandard conditions of this facility, which was not built for long-term detention.
—Eric Mandel, AJC.com, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Historical accounts acknowledge Chavez’s substantial organizational accomplishments, including galvanizing farmworkers across California in the mid-1960s and orchestrating the 1968 grape boycott that brought national attention to agricultural workers’ brutal conditions and substandard wages.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
In her defense, Noem appears particularly sensitive to the discomfort of substandard air travel.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Last fall, the AJC reported on the substandard conditions of this facility, which was not built for long-term detention.
—Eric Mandel, AJC.com, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
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Killing dogs in the street became increasingly unacceptable, and rabies vaccines became available.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
To Hafley, that’s unacceptable.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Arsenal were pretty poor but won, Sporting were pretty good but lost.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Ackman blamed its poor share price performance partly on the delay of UMG’s listing in the United States.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Now 43-38, Charlotte has lost ground this week with difficult losses to Boston and Detroit that followed the same blueprint, as the Hornets fell off a cliff in the fourth quarter at the wrong time.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
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Overfertilizing Fertilizing too much or at the wrong time could potentially damage plant roots, leading to leaf damage and eventual drop.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But large-scale remedies, such as finding alternative sources of revenue like a general tax increase to offset property tax cuts, are less likely when lawmakers and Pritzker are seeking reelection — though political pressures are lessened after the November general election in a lame-duck session.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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This struck me as heartbreakingly lame and, therefore, as a moment of vital consequence.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient.—
Imtiaz Rangwala,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
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Most were sterilized because they were believed to be mentally ill or mentally deficient.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gas and diesel prices have soared since the start of the Iran war, but the situation could get even worse later this year because of ethanol requirements and problems with fertilizer supply chains.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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Flattening the curve—making bad floods somewhat less bad—feels achievable.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
They were normally injured, inferior and underachieving.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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The theory of the great replacement is that elites, or, depending on who told the story, Jews (not commonly a direct target of VDARE), have invited nonwhite immigrants with inferior bloodlines into white- dominated Western countries to weaken them and absorb more power for themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Although in the hours before splashdown, all eyes were on their spacecraft’s heat shield — which NASA previously said was flawed, according to The New York Times — NASA developed a modified path for the Artemis II mission in order to keep the crew safe during re-entry.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Late payments for major construction projects, expenditures listed in the wrong fiscal year and a flawed budgeting process are just some of the financial problems Groveland needs to fix, the Lake County city’s mayor said in an unusual presentation this week.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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