1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
never knew that she had so many threadbare relatives until she won the lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
Longtime Oak Lawn Village Board member Timothy Desmond has resigned from his post to enter into a contract with the village through his home building company to restore dilapidated properties, with the goal of putting them back on the tax rolls.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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The newborn lived in a dank and dilapidated enclosure alongside seven other lions, including his parents, Kim and Carl, said Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane World for Animals Canada, whose organization helped shut down the zoo and rescue the lions.—
Andrea Sachs,
Washington Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
For Chicago, the shocking crimes are noteworthy contributors to its tattered national reputation — fair or not — for being unsafe and for criminal-justice policies perceived as being concerned more with the rights of those accused than the interests of those victimized.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Untrained soldiers were shoeless and wore tattered clothes.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The redevelopment could begin unfolding as the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, the former Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, begins construction on a new $35 million headquarters in Clay Arsenal, two major projects for the long-impoverished neighborhood.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
For homeowners tired of robotic mowers that demand nearly as much effort as traditional ones, the K1 is a genuine upgrade.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Susan Collins is an anemic and tired candidate.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If the edges look ragged with tan or white tips, your mower blade is at fault.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 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
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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