in tatters
phrase
: clothes that are old and badly torn
They were dressed in tatters.
—often used figurativelyAfter the war, the economy was in tatters.
Her hopes lay in tatters.
Cite this Entry
“In tatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20tatters. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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