1
as in disaster
something that has failed
our first attempt was a complete dud, so we had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clothes
duds plural
covering for the human body
those are some pretty fancy duds you're wearing
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in things
duds plural
transportable items that one owns
you have one hour to pack up your duds and clear out of here
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in defective
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dud
Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
Amazon’s $1,500 Astro device — essentially a smart speaker on wheels — was a dud for the ages.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Vivienne Walt, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dud
Noun
Thursday’s three division games probably seemed sure-fire when first scheduled but have turned out to be late-season duds.
—Adjective
The group has had big wins, but has also faced a string of dud votes in recent years.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for dud
Noun
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More than a year after the disaster, which killed all but two people on board, much is still unclear about why the passenger jet crash landed.—
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The councilwoman emphasized that every neighborhood in Los Angeles is just one disaster from devastation.—
Noun
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However, Chuba Hubbard’s calf injury in the second quarter of the season opened things up for Dowdle to emerge.—
-
Jeff Klaiber took those things and molded Lehman into an Olympian, at times pushing boundaries and pushing Lehman to the brink.—
Adjective
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The team would never have spotted them just by analyzing a defective bottle.—
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Building on earlier biochemical discoveries, researchers administered a CoQ10 precursor that bypasses the defective step in the energy-production pathway.—
Noun
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Patients’ failure to take their medicine as prescribed is a major challenge that contributes to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and billions of dollars in health care costs annually.—
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Continue reading … SKIDDING TO SAFETY – All plane tires burst on Boeing 767 during harrowing landing failure.—
Noun
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Down the street are a gift store, a clothing boutique, an appliance store and a couple of restaurants.—
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The brand’s name recognition, longstanding tradition of quality craftsmanship, and the durability expected of its clothing transitions seamlessly into its dog coat.—
Noun
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In other words, pedestrian stuff that doesn’t light up social media or earn an invitation to hold forth on one of the Beltway chat shows.—
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Beyond politics, what about the more inside baseball industry stuff?—
Adjective
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If the application is unsatisfactory, the board can request more information from the merging parties or propose remedies.—
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Nearly 21% of the allegations were for policy violations, and another 20% were for unsatisfactory performance.—
Noun
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Your confidence can be a bulwark against disappointment in others in February.—
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On the disappointment of 2024 In April 2024, the Chiefs traded up one spot to select Suamataia out of BYU with the 63rd overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.—
Cite this Entry
“Dud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dud. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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