ˌsəb-ˈäp-tə-məl
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
yes, living on junk food generally means that you have a suboptimal diet
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of suboptimal
This disjointed care increases the likelihood of redundant procedures, miscommunication and suboptimal treatment plans, driving up utilization and healthcare costs.
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Mariya Filipova, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
In Cleveland, Bickerstaff was forced to learn a thing or two about suboptimal spacing, as the team regularly deployed two bigs at the same time in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
—Mat Issa, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Agree, Confidence level 9 Some policies imposed on Greece by the troika may have been suboptimal, and the EU/IMF's help, once the crisis started, may have been too little too late.
—Martin Wolf, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2015
Indeed, of all the emotions that can steer us toward suboptimal decisions, fear may be the most powerful because of its physiological implications, in addition to its psychological.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for suboptimal 
Mariya Filipova, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
In Cleveland, Bickerstaff was forced to learn a thing or two about suboptimal spacing, as the team regularly deployed two bigs at the same time in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
—Mat Issa, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Agree, Confidence level 9 Some policies imposed on Greece by the troika may have been suboptimal, and the EU/IMF's help, once the crisis started, may have been too little too late.
—Martin Wolf, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2015
Indeed, of all the emotions that can steer us toward suboptimal decisions, fear may be the most powerful because of its physiological implications, in addition to its psychological.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for suboptimal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suboptimal
Adjective
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And there's a lengthy list of unacceptable offenses that can get people ejected or even banned from venues.Felecia Wellington Radel, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
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Zelenskyy expressed concern over potential pressure on Ukraine should Donald Trump win the presidency, stating that any attempt to force it to surrender its territories would be unacceptable.Katya Soldak, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Trump, for one thing, had a favorable set of issues behind him and the Republican Party: Biden had seen poor favorability and approval ratings throughout his term in office, despite scoring several legislative wins, including a bipartisan infrastructure deal that had previously eluded Trump.Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
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Russia has sent two prototypes of its latest fighter jet in service, the stealth Su-57, to China for an airshow, where they were reportedly mocked for their poor workmanship and conditions.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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There’s no right or wrong answer here—this comes down to what feels healthiest for you.Dominique Fluker, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024
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Our reporting has found that the claims of noncitizens on the voter rolls are likely inflated and, in some cases, wrong.ProPublica, ProPublica, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
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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
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Zach Wilson’s younger brother settled in as the game progressed, but then threw a bad INT in the fourth to end Utah’s comeback attempt.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
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Dilettante listing brokers can also cost sellers with bad marketing, weird staging, and a lack of responsiveness.Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This Tuesday's particular presidential election is also the most important election of our lifetimes for a simple additional reason: Harris is the most ideologically left-wing, intellectually deficient, and wildly unprepared presidential candidate in the nation's history.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
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In the early seventies, when addicts were viewed as criminals or morally deficient, Gruppo Abele became a nonjudgmental refuge for homeless people and juvenile offenders.D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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The exchange touches on an ongoing debate regarding the playoff format that Hamlin argues is flawed.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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However, an investigation by the Associated Press found that the film was based on flawed and improper analysis of cell phone location data.Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near suboptimal
Cite this Entry
“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suboptimal. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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