1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale
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2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés
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3
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags I loved that threadbare shirt, but after 10 years of wear, it was time to throw it away
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4
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions never knew that she had so many threadbare relatives until she won the lottery
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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 threadbare Amanda Peet is pulling back the threadbare curtain on life underneath the spotlight. —
Brie Stimson , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026 Along the way, there were genre pitstops, where Duvall could always be relied upon to turn formulaic roles into far more than the sum of their threadbare parts (1973’s The Outfit, 1975’s The Killer Elite). —Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026 As deaf servant Firs, Howard Swain swaddles the whole clan in a delicate, threadbare gauze. —Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026 Other varieties include a fun skirt with a threadbare T-shirt, or Brandy Melville basics offset by aggressively A-lister sunglasses. —Olivia Allen, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Brie Stimson , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026 Along the way, there were genre pitstops, where Duvall could always be relied upon to turn formulaic roles into far more than the sum of their threadbare parts (1973’s The Outfit, 1975’s The Killer Elite). —Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026 As deaf servant Firs, Howard Swain swaddles the whole clan in a delicate, threadbare gauze. —Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026 Other varieties include a fun skirt with a threadbare T-shirt, or Brandy Melville basics offset by aggressively A-lister sunglasses. —Olivia Allen, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threadbare
Adjective
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The city announced the move to the East Village in March, as part of the plan to close the dilapidated and sometimes violence-prone 30th Street center.— Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
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Its dilapidated state and lack of funding — just $25,000 was budgeted for programming by the city last year — prevents the facility from offering a full slate of services for residents.— Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
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Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.— Kris Ann Valdez, Parents, 13 Feb. 2026
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Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.— Tom McDonough, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2025
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In the foreground of the painting was a car encampment with a tattered floral sheet woven through the windows, cloth tarps and couch cushions creating a shield against the elements.— Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
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Many wore tattered flip-flops or shoes that offered little protection.— CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
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Marriott’s report was the first time a British aid charity had documented how taxpayers’ money was funding a business accused of detaining impoverished African patients.— Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
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Sickert is showcased here for both his impressionistic instincts and his portrayal of previously taboo art subjects such as prostitutes and the impoverished.— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
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For patients living with rare and neglected diseases, the next breakthrough treatment might already be sitting in a pharmaceutical company’s filing cabinet.— Annette Bakker, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
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When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
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However, his attempts to introduce a more aggressive man-for-man pressing style also place higher physical demands on already tired players.— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
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Even the film’s critic-defying, pinky-swearing fanbase may be disappointed in the barebones production, jarring plotting, tired dialogue and ham-handed staging.— Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
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So, the books around it sparkle on the shelf, and this book alone is old and ragged.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
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In another famous tale, Hoja arrives at a feast wearing old and ragged clothes and is treated rudely.— Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
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The Braves couldn’t overcome a poor start from Reynaldo López and saw their six-game winning streak fall by the wayside in an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park.— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 22 Apr. 2026
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In the days leading up to his fatal overdose, Prince was in poor health and was forced to cancel shows in Atlanta.— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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