1
: an old or badly working piece of machinery
especially
: a dilapidated automobile
2
: someone or something notably unsuccessful
told a joke that was a real clunker
Examples of clunker in a Sentence
My first car was an old clunker that kept breaking down.
That joke was a real clunker.
The director's recent films have all been clunkers.
Recent Examples on the Web
First, by a five-run clunker in a homecoming game against the Chicago Cubs, when dozens of his friends and family from nearby McHenry packed the stands.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2024
Even though Thompson’s season ended unceremoniously with an 0-for-10 clunker in the play-in game, his market is going to heat up.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024
In ways subtle and overt, the electric vehicle has become the avatar for clean energy in the minds of voters, which may prove to be a political clunker for Democrats, despite having the stronger story to tell.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 June 2024
The 23-year-old has been less consistent since, recording a 6.93 ERA over his last seven starts, which included a few clunkers.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clunker 
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2024
Even though Thompson’s season ended unceremoniously with an 0-for-10 clunker in the play-in game, his market is going to heat up.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024
In ways subtle and overt, the electric vehicle has become the avatar for clean energy in the minds of voters, which may prove to be a political clunker for Democrats, despite having the stronger story to tell.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 June 2024
The 23-year-old has been less consistent since, recording a 6.93 ERA over his last seven starts, which included a few clunkers.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clunker
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clunker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Clunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clunker. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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