as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
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Recent Examples of substandard
According to Lisa Schiller, senior director of investigations and media relations for the Better Business Bureau, online pharmacies may sell fake, substandard, expired, or unapproved medications that may contain harmful ingredients.
—
Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 19 Jan. 2026
The disaster has raised questions about bid-rigging and corruption, as well as negligence by government officials, who have cited substandard mesh netting, polystyrene boards that were sealed to the windows and fire alarm failures as major factors in the fire’s start and rapid spread.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
The case highlighted broader substandard working and housing conditions for pickers, including excessive working hours, low pay, a lack of safety equipment and protocols, such as adequate hydration and breaks.
—Holly Ellyatt,charlotte Reed, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
City officials and police have pointed the finger of blame at construction companies for allegedly using substandard mesh netting to wrap scaffolding on the buildings and multiple arrests have been made.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 19 Jan. 2026
The disaster has raised questions about bid-rigging and corruption, as well as negligence by government officials, who have cited substandard mesh netting, polystyrene boards that were sealed to the windows and fire alarm failures as major factors in the fire’s start and rapid spread.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
The case highlighted broader substandard working and housing conditions for pickers, including excessive working hours, low pay, a lack of safety equipment and protocols, such as adequate hydration and breaks.
—Holly Ellyatt,charlotte Reed, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
City officials and police have pointed the finger of blame at construction companies for allegedly using substandard mesh netting to wrap scaffolding on the buildings and multiple arrests have been made.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
-
Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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These actions, coupled with her own words, reveal an unacceptable disdain for our constitutional system of checks and balances.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Evening people were 79% more likely to have poor overall heart health compared with those in the intermediate group, the study found.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Audits have identified poor planning, weak oversight, and insufficient monitoring of quality and cost.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mia’s giant bow dress is fabulous, but her hair is all wrong.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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Which is why the reaction to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney blowing the whistle on Ole Miss coach Pete Golding for alleged tampering feels so wrong.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The city’s Planning Commission approved the project in October despite objections from nearby residents, who appealed the decision to the City Council saying the environmental report was deficient and the subdivision was incompatible with surrounding land uses.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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People who have had gastric bypass surgery can also become deficient in vitamin D, says Bouwmeester.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 26 to help UConn beat Tennessee, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss in the storied rivalry.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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To that end, here’s a selection of the best (and most enjoyably bad) literary film and TV coming to streaming services this month.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The market was once concerned that ChatGPT creator OpenAI would threaten the Google parent’s dominant search business, and that its own AI technology was inferior.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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Recent immigrants are naturally inferior Americans, if they are considered American at all.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For many viewers, the plot lines feel human, flawed and real.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
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While much has been made about the Heat potentially being positioned to make a better offer to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo if Milwaukee were to wait for the offseason for such a move, that reasoning is somewhat flawed.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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