PATCHY Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

patchy

adjective

Definition of patchy

as in dilapidated

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of patchy In cool climates, sow fresh grass seed every autumn to fill in bare or patchy areas. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 23 Aug. 2026 All accommodations come without telephones or TVs – and cell service is blissfully patchy, with signals interrupted by Mount Babel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026 From the Peterbald’s varied coat types to the Lykoi’s patchy, wolfish look, these cats differ in their origins, genetic traits, body structures and day-to-day grooming needs. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 The Republican president posted a photo showing a once-grassy area by the World War II Memorial, now patchy and brown across much of the sprawling turf. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patchy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patchy

Adjective

The city earmarked $15 million to transform dilapidated buildings into hubs for new businesses.

— Reg Chapman, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
But, as Keegan’s impact upon Newcastle — the club and the city — rose, the dilapidated ground changed, too.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of dilapidated

Adjective

The team behind this research studied 14 candidates for faded or remnant radio galaxies found in a region of the sky over Earth, studied intensely by the XMM-Newton X-ray spacecraft, called the XMM–Newton Large-Scale Structure (XMM–LSS) field.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
How to Deadhead Coneflowers Deadheading coneflowers is as simple as removing the faded flower heads.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of faded

Adjective

Since fruit contains a lot of moisture, adding dry, shredded leaves on top helps balance moisture levels.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
The Food and Drug Administration announced its investigation into shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell the day he was discharged, his attorneys said.

— Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of shredded

Adjective

Too mangy, too rangy, prowling in their bony elegance, leaping weightless from dangerously precarious mounds of sharp edges, peering yellow- eyed from shadows.

— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 May 2026
To write, especially in a first draft, is to submit myself to the mangy, cackling glory of not knowing.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of mangy

Adjective

Don’t donate moldy, ripped, or holey shoes or pairs with no structure.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026
That’s thanks to a quirk of South Florida’s geology, where the entire region is perched on holey rock that does little to stop the rise of groundwater, which Sukop’s research has shown is rising on pace with sea level.

— Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025

Definition of holey

Browse Nearby Words

patchworks

patchy

pat down

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“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patchy. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of patchy

adjective

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