as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least

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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 subpar But a good partner can make even a subpar project worthwhile. Dr. Eric George, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 Without Francisco Alvarez for 25 games, New York ranked 16th in wins above replacement behind the plate, its subpar offense (68 wRC+) mitigated by outstanding defense from Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger. Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, on top of all that quarterback jockeying, Schoen and Daboll also need to significantly improve their subpar roster in order to prevent the bottom falling out on their team for a second straight season in 2025. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025 Compounding this problem, the challenge in public health—particularly around diseases such as HIV—is often getting the message across to people in the most vulnerable communities, where disease and treatment awareness may already be subpar. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
Adjective
  • And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
  • Tools that pose an unacceptable threat to rights or safety are banned outright.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Job Corps, established in 1964, provides education and vocational training to disadvantaged youth but has been criticized by the Labor Department for poor outcomes and safety issues.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • Programs like food aid for poor children, health care for seniors, and subsidies for day-to-day needs are in the balance.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 5 June 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
  • For affluent Latino parents Enrique and Ilana Gomez, this moment goes hilariously wrong from the start, when their daughter Yoli invites her Mexican-born intended Marcos over to the family’s Pasadena home for dinner.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
  • Edwards and Randle have been firmly in his corner, which has helped Finch hold the team accountable when things are going wrong.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • That cartilage injury was worse than expected, and Jiménez could miss all or most of this season rehabbing.
    David O'Brien, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • The Canadian fire situation Canada is having another bad wildfire season, and more than 27,000 people in three provinces have been forced to evacuate.
    Steve Karnowski, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • Ars Video Whether the Take It Down Act can survive a potential constitutional challenge or not, the 48-hour timeline may be deficient for other reasons, though, victim testimony suggests.
    Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
  • The Church’s ‘Good Faith’ In court filings, Riverside denies wrongdoing and insists Holmes’ case is legally deficient.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Kids these days have attention spans crushed under the terrible weight of TikTok and Instgram.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Heavy truck traffic has also contributed to terrible pollution in California’s Central Valley.
    Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
  • We were made aware of this horrible activity by Priscilla Olivarez from ILRC, at our annual conference Convening 2025, held in San Antonio.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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