as in neglected
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
a dilapidated car that had seen better days
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dilapidated
Denise Schrier Cetta, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
The camera lingers, luxuriously, on the dilapidated roadside.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026
My father in his gray Nehru jacket thumbing through Urdu poetry books in the library of a dilapidated but grand Mahmudabad palace, near his hometown of Lucknow.
—Divia Thani, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
This Milwaukee program takes dilapidated houses, acquired by the city through property tax foreclosure, and rehabs them for new home buyers.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dilapidated
Adjective
From the air, Port-au-Prince is a dense sprawl of chaotic streets and dilapidated houses.
—Denise Schrier Cetta, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
The camera lingers, luxuriously, on the dilapidated roadside.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026
My father in his gray Nehru jacket thumbing through Urdu poetry books in the library of a dilapidated but grand Mahmudabad palace, near his hometown of Lucknow.
—Divia Thani, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
This Milwaukee program takes dilapidated houses, acquired by the city through property tax foreclosure, and rehabs them for new home buyers.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dilapidated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilapidated
Adjective
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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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His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Officials in long-standing Iranian regional rival Saudi Arabia have been pressing for Iranian missile and drone capabilities to be degraded as much as possible before a US exit, to remove any future Iranian threat.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
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Witness The New York Times’ recent and significant revision of its previous position on the risks of legal marijuana, admitting that wide access and strong normalization have degraded public health.—
Kevin A. Sabet,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The city has been overwhelmed in recent years by an influx of abandoned and stray dogs and puppies.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
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Antonia Noori Farzan The Providence Police Department is urging drivers to stay off the road, saying that stuck and abandoned cars are causing problems and preventing the city from getting back to normal.—
Eryn Dion,
The Providence Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The detail was that Rivas’ body was not only badly decomposed when it was found – it had been dismembered and separated into two bags before being placed in the trunk of the Tesla.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
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In both cases, the remains were decomposed, and appeared that they may have been moved around multiple locations before being discovered, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The field, a desolate oil patch, will eventually be the central location for what became known as the Texas Killing Fields.—
John Wayne Ferguson,
Houston Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
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Miller and Cook were two of four young women whose bodies were found between 1984 and 1991 in a rural field off a desolate dirt road in League City, located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Houston.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Wagler led the Illini with 20 points, but Illinois shot a miserable 34% (19 of 56) from the field and 23% (6 of 26) from 3-point range.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Porter Martone capped a fantastic first week in the NHL with a power-play goal in the NHL to put the Philadelphia Flyers even closer toward ending a miserable playoff drought with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
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Helberg, cast as inventor Martin Phister, opens up about their characters who are trying to be virtuous and end up getting corrupted instead.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Pieces of Maxey's tattered clothing and other evidence are being tested for animal DNA, with authorities believing the animal could be a bear, a mountain lion, or a dog, according to the outlet, which cited the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office and Oklahoma Wildlife Services.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
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Repairing the agency’s tattered credibility The CDC has long been the world’s pre-eminent public health agency.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dilapidated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilapidated. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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