1
as in obsolete
having passed its time of use or usefulness
moth-eaten scientific theories that no one's believed in ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
a man who's been wearing the same moth-eaten clothes for decades
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
an uncle who tells the same moth-eaten stories every Thanksgiving
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moth-eaten
When clothing is moth-eaten, see Ronald Moore at French-American Reweaving Co. (119 W. 57th St.; 212-765-4670).
—
The Editors, Curbed, 9 May 2025
The Editors, Curbed, 9 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moth-eaten
Adjective
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Its older and obsolete buildings have for years been losing office tenants to sleek new skyscrapers that popped up to the west along the Chicago River or in Fulton Market.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
Simply speaking, much of our levee on private data is becoming obsolete.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Buck Island offered to sell the dilapidated unit to Brown for $1,000, funded partially with her security deposit.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
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Google reviews show the Super 8 in West Haven deteriorating to poor service and dilapidated rooms and finally permanently closed.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
In some cases, praise took on overtly stereotyped forms: words like 'love' were used disproportionately with female students, while 'powerful' appeared only for Black students.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The very details that make the genre come alive—the archaic syntax, the outfits, the feelings—are the ones that haven’t survived into the present day or that the writer made up.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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This rule has evolved, though it’s not considered completely archaic.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Underdog startups and neglected divisions tell similar stories.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2026
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Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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My wife lowers her gaze as if tired, rubbing the side of her glass with her fingers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The first step is to avoid the tired trap of pitting a liberal arts education against a technical or practical one.—
Jamie Merisotis,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
At the outset, the tech companies operated in a legal space that the country’s antiquated commercial code had not yet mapped.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
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Many continue to use antiquated customer data models or adhere to conventional marketing tactics.—
Dr. Bin Tang,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moth-eaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moth-eaten. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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