as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 People who know how substandard these homes are don’t voluntarily go there. —
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026 To normies, this abrogation of procedure and consensus is the route to a shitty, substandard building. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026 Cyclists may ride two or more abreast in a substandard width lane – defined as a lane that is too narrow for a bike and vehicle to travel safely side-by-side – if the lane doesn't allow for vehicles to safely pass bikes. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Mar. 2026 This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for substandard
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026 To normies, this abrogation of procedure and consensus is the route to a shitty, substandard building. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026 Cyclists may ride two or more abreast in a substandard width lane – defined as a lane that is too narrow for a bike and vehicle to travel safely side-by-side – if the lane doesn't allow for vehicles to safely pass bikes. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Mar. 2026 This includes constant exposure to toxic pesticides, poverty-level wages and substandard housing conditions. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
Adjective
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Ultimately, this will mean more encampments, more preventable deaths in the streets, and more individuals and families with no other option but to live in unsafe and unacceptable conditions.— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
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Not ready for prime time Amazon’s Prime Video losing its feed in overtime of the Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat play-in game was unacceptable for a streaming network that deems itself big time.— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Braves couldn’t overcome a poor start from Reynaldo López and saw their six-game winning streak fall by the wayside in an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park.— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 22 Apr. 2026
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In the days leading up to his fatal overdose, Prince was in poor health and was forced to cancel shows in Atlanta.— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 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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The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
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Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Clover naturally fixes nitrogen-deficient soil and improves soil fertility, which helps nearby plants.— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
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If muscles remain depleted and incompletely repaired, each practice starts with a deficient muscular system.— William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The combination of a shaky bullpen and even worse infield defense harmed the Twins multiple times during the team’s current four-game losing streak.— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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To be unreasonable is to be a bad survivalist.— Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The high-flying version of the Avs has yet to arrive in this series, but the defensively-sound edition backed by strong goaltending continues to be enough against an inferior Kings club.— Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
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In these three scenarios, then, the money market account is inferior in two of them, while the returns will be identical for the shorter, 3-month option.— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 21 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.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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