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Recent Examples of underwhelm
In the latter camp is Lana, who tries to honor her German heritage with a squash spaetzle that underwhelms the judges.
—
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 16 May 2025
The value of that stake has soared in the past two years even though the team’s on-field performance has continued to underwhelm.
—John Dobosz, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Unlike last season down the road with the Hoosiers in Bloomington, this NBA baptism has come in measured doses, intended not to overwhelm, but also with expectations of Ware not to underwhelm.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2024
Apple underwhelms Kodak Digital photography is another example.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 9 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for underwhelm
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 16 May 2025
The value of that stake has soared in the past two years even though the team’s on-field performance has continued to underwhelm.
—John Dobosz, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Unlike last season down the road with the Hoosiers in Bloomington, this NBA baptism has come in measured doses, intended not to overwhelm, but also with expectations of Ware not to underwhelm.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2024
Apple underwhelms Kodak Digital photography is another example.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 9 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for underwhelm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underwhelm
Verb
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The leanness and intensity of the production — a 35-day shoot, with only 11 days in the main location — were exhilarating but wearying.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Disney-Marvel’s wearying blockbuster hopeful The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach — dropped out of the top five at the domestic box office over the weekend as an underwhelming summer movie season draws to a close.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Too often, developments of this size that pop up on virgin ground get lost to boring cookie-cutter street scaping and architecture.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
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The approach is complemented by heavy use of the Estevez brothers’ childhood Super 8 movies, genre-bending DIY productions that Charlie notes often bore similarities to the movies their father was making at the time.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But three weeks into their stay — Spain arrived in New Zealand well in advance of its first game, hoping to draw the sting from the jet lag — the place had started to pall.—
Rory Smith,
New York Times,
3 Aug. 2023
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But after a time, the combination of abrasive, impenetrably shellacked characters and deliberately, hopelessly tangled shaggy-dog storytelling begins to pall, and viewers may wish for a simpler way in.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Underwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underwhelm. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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