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as in disasters
something that has failed
a real clunker, the movie was soon littering the shelves of video stores everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clunkers
Reiner had a Midas touch for years, but The Story of Us was the third of four clunkers in a row for him — and more proof that his once-formidable ability to tap into universal themes was starting to slip away.
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Will Leitch, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Key reprogrammers can be hooked into plugs behind panels of modern cars — from the expensive and stylish to clunkers — and are used to aid owners who’ve lost their keys.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
Its slim, vertical design also stands out among a field of countertop clunkers.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
There can be no repeat of their clunkers against the Commanders and the Giants the past two weeks.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Burrow hopes that feeling the rush and gaining real reps working the pocket will help lessen the impact of opening-week clunkers that contributed to the team’s slow starts.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunkers
Noun
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Officials say truckloads of antiquities were driven from the capital in 2023 — RSF members filmed themselves opening crates of mummified remains — and estimate total losses at $110 million.—
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What do a nopal (a prickly pear cactus) a bicycle stand, crates, a wooden bench, a plastic table and worn knives have in common?—
Noun
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The Packers had seen their season end in two of the last three postseasons in part because of special teams disasters, and Saturday night was no different.—
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Overall, the nation suffered a staggering 23 separate weather and climate disasters in 2025, each of which cost over $1 billion in damages.—
Noun
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Any profession with life-and-death authority must be willing to confront its worst failures, not hide them.—
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For women now incarcerated at Mabel Bassett, those early decisions and missing records are not abstract failures, but the background against which their own cases were charged, tried, and judged.—
Noun
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Advertisement Books provide us with refuge from disappointments and heartbreak and loss.—
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Yes, rookie draftees got playing opportunities but none was a standout, and the top two picks were closer to disappointments than successes.—
Noun
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Killers, however, are practical and can’t stand losers.—
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And as Nathan says, the losers will be ‘meme-ified’, an impatience helping nobody.—
Noun
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About 20 Air Force combat planes, including F-15Es, A-10s and AC-130J gunships, as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones and Jordanian F-16 fighter jets, fired more than 90 bombs and missiles toward at least 35 targets Saturday, according to Capt.—
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Dishes range from caviar or rock oysters (teamed with cranberry, spiced pumpkin, and classic sauces) to Dover sole meunière, Cornish lobster bisque, black truffle arancini, seared scallop, loin of venison, and chocolate bombs for dessert.—
Noun
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An observer of catastrophes, come what may.—
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Across their nearly 100-year football rivalry, USC and Notre Dame have only paused their annual matchup for global catastrophes like World War II and the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Cite this Entry
“Clunkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunkers. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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