as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
an old dog-eared copy of a beloved book
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Recent Examples of dog-eared
My esteemed coworkers in Vulture’s book Slack, in fact, suggested that copies of The Secret of Secrets should come pre-wrinkled and dog-eared, with salt stains and sand in the pages.
—
Emily Heller, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Sometimes they’ve been torn, smudged, folded or dog-eared.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
My copies of these books are now dog-eared to death and as appropriately stained as favorite kitchen tools.
—Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Tampa Bay is still a very good team, even if a bit dog-eared around the edges of its elite personnel.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2023
Emily Heller, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Sometimes they’ve been torn, smudged, folded or dog-eared.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
My copies of these books are now dog-eared to death and as appropriately stained as favorite kitchen tools.
—Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Tampa Bay is still a very good team, even if a bit dog-eared around the edges of its elite personnel.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dog-eared
Adjective
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Additionally, several existing dilapidated buildings on the site will be demolished and their concrete recycled and partly reused to realize the new structures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Sep. 2025
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Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
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Close the Loop Following through on commitments is the simplest and yet shockingly most neglected way to earn long-term trust.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Skyridge will send you its tattered battle plans during its long trip back to Utah.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
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Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dog-eared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dog-eared. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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