clinker

noun

ˈkliŋ-kər How to pronounce clinker (audio)
Definition of clinkernext
1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy a documentary that had such clinkers as a reference to Iran as an Arab nation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disaster
something that has failed all of the toy company's new offerings for the Christmas season proved to be clinkers

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 clinker Some techniques for reducing carbon dioxide emissions include substituting some of the clinker – the hard residue typically made from limestone – with supplementary materials such as clay, or fly ash and slag from industries. — Alcina Johnson Sudagar, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026 But there are no outright clinkers in the bunch, either. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025 Take 419, which is one of two made of nubby clinker brick, a medieval look that matches the Gothic arches over the main entrance and the door to a maisonette. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Aug. 2025 What emerges from the mixing and cooking are small, hard nodules called clinker. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for clinker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinker
  1. mistake
  2. disaster
  3. error
  4. failure
  5. blunder
  6. bomb
  7. brick
  8. washout
Noun
  • In Kundassery’s view, the Democratic Party had made a critical mistake in the first few months of 2025.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • To keep errors in check, each graph is shown to multiple volunteers, and their answers are combined so that individual mistakes average out, according to the project's website.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • Faizi said ambulances and disaster management personnel arrived from a nearby facility within five minutes of being alerted.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For example, largely because of the environmental disaster that is Weikuang Dam, the country doesn’t permit the development or operation of stand-alone monazite mines—that is, mines where nothing is mined except monazite ore.
    — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • Someone who visits the malicious website directly may see a 404 error page instead of the fake installer.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The experts, who had all studied AI in academic settings, all brought up the ironies of the automation problem, where AI makes errors that humans can’t catch.
    — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of error
Noun
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Special-teams breakdowns — including a 70-yard kickoff return and two field-goal failures — played a big role in the Rams’ 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Adam Hamilton Hamilton, the Democratic nominee, has characterized the war as a major foreign policy blunder.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Holding her tongue is not Kate’s forte in general, and the severity of Todd’s avalanche of blunders in their meeting with the British foreign secretary tests the outer limits of her ability.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • The war continues Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia has launched more than 4,000 strike drones, bombs and missiles against his country over the past week.
    — Kristin Wright, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Fifty years after the last Weather Underground bomb exploded, former members and their children reassess the costs of the group’s violent struggle.
    — Adam Hochschild, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of bomb
Noun
  • While this is online only for now, Harper sees brick and mortar in its future, whether that’s in the form of a pop up or a more permanent presence in a couple of key cities.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The family room opens out to a patio with a bold red-brick surface.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of brick
Noun
  • The weekend is not expected to be a complete washout, but passing storms will remain possible Saturday and Sunday.
    — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Still some lingering light rain and breezy conditions across parts of the Northeast for tomorrow morning, but not a washout for most.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of washout

Browse Nearby Words

clinked
clinker
clinkers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clinker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinker. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All