flunking 1 of 2

adjective

as in failing

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flunking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of flunk
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful the movie flunks, both as entertainment and as a dramatization of a historical incident

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 flunking
Verb
Hannah starts flunking tests, missing class, and becomes totally subsumed in Melanie’s world and her instructor’s investment in her. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 June 2026 Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form. — CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026 Or the employee cafeteria in the chains’ corporate overlord’s headquarters flunking an inspection? — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026 By the end of the eighth grade, Ben—now out as gay—was flunking every class. — Longreads, 3 Feb. 2026 For its misleading omissions, the Times story deserves a flunking grade. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026 Conservatives, with few exceptions, united behind her, arguing the controversy was an example of a left-wing instructor flunking a student over their Christian beliefs. — Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025 The coursework was intense, and the two struggled, even flunking some classes. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025 Like the Phillies, they were weakened by a key player — ex-Padre Jurickson Profar — being suspended 80 games for flunking a PED test. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunking
  1. failing
  2. collapsing
  3. flopping
  4. missing
  5. struggling
Adjective
  • The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
    — Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Jan. 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • She’d previously been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition that can be brought on by overexertion, after collapsing from lower-body cramping and temporary leg paralysis during a 2025 playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • One that is visibly collapsing under the weight of its scared cows.
    — Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapsing
Verb
  • The video shows the peacock, referred to by some in the neighborhood as Sugar, seemingly flopping around then collapsing.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The papers were flopping off the edge of his desk, trembling in the breeze from the window; her hand reached out to stop them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • The fact a majority of them belong to people who traveled from another country and the conditions of the desert itself both complicate efforts to identify remains, therefore hindering missing persons cases, experts say.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Rookie Carver Willis got first-team reps at right guard, and Jordan James saw action with the second team after missing time with a rib injury.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of missing
Verb
  • An already struggling Twitter announced plans to shut it down in 2016.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The shortfall is particularly serious because the United States and European partners are struggling to expand production.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggling

Browse Nearby Words

flunkies
flunking
flunks
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Cite this Entry

“Flunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunking. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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