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 problems of poverty — food insecurity, substandard housing, evictions, addiction, unemployment, exposure to violence — impact how kids learn. Adam Schwartz, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2025 The Dolphins’ running game efficiency nosedived last season, largely because of a substandard offensive line. Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 But the site’s overall score is a substandard 2.4 stars. Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025 On multiple occasions over the last few days, in important ties (also referring to the League Cup final in England between Chelsea and Manchester City last Saturday at Pride Park, home of second-tier men’s team Derby County), our members have been asked to play in substandard conditions. Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
  • Shapiro told reporters at a news conference on April 16 that regardless of the motivation for the crime, political violence must be condemned as unacceptable in our society.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Tom Schwartz later says that the behavior is completely unacceptable, as does Jason.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.
    Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.
    Maxim Sytch, Harvard Business Review, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • But even one in three Republicans said their cost of living was on the wrong track, according to the poll, which surveyed 4,306 U.S. adults nationwide between April 16 and April 21.
    Jason Lange, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • But the product labels gave away that something was wrong: Product of China, many of them read in Mandarin.
    Karen Yuan, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Mount Zion Road/Columbia Hollow bridge was part of the 2017 county bridge plan to replace 15 bridges deemed structurally deficient by the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The formula includes vitamin D, another nutrient that many are deficient in, which can boost immunity, support bone health and promote a healthy gut microbiome.
    Emily Burns, WWD, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • President Donald Trump intends to completely reimagine U.S. trade relations with our closest partners and fiercest rivals, for better or worse.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • As an attempt to derive meaning from a meaningless phrase —which was, after all, the user's request—that's not half bad.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In April 2024, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, ruling that the original trial was flawed due to the inclusion of testimony from three additional accusers who were not part of the charges.
    Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The similarly futile attempts to portray John Walker as a flawed but good man, despite his callous rage and murderous tendencies?
    Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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