as in dilapidated
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Recent Examples of patchy
Some patchy fog cannot be ruled out early on as well.
—
Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 11 May 2026
The autoimmune disorder causes the body to attack its own hair follicles, which leads to baldness and patchy hair loss.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Even if the exact rankings are debatable (franchise revenue data is notoriously patchy), the scale is not.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026
In January, the clothing label Guess launched a rebrand campaign composed of lowercase copy in acid-yellow type over grainy selfie-style photos; the Guess logo is printed over patchy white highlights, as if someone had hastily scratched out the surface beneath the word in Photoshop.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 11 May 2026
The autoimmune disorder causes the body to attack its own hair follicles, which leads to baldness and patchy hair loss.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Even if the exact rankings are debatable (franchise revenue data is notoriously patchy), the scale is not.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026
In January, the clothing label Guess launched a rebrand campaign composed of lowercase copy in acid-yellow type over grainy selfie-style photos; the Guess logo is printed over patchy white highlights, as if someone had hastily scratched out the surface beneath the word in Photoshop.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patchy
Adjective
-
An operating license for a dilapidated Boba tea kiosk displays a 2024 expiration date.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Zaragoza stationed his men on the high ground, hidden behind cacti, behind walls of dilapidated forts, in ditches.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Nylon imitated the look of faded blue jeans and fabrics with worn, aged and artisanal details were the product of sustainable and efficient technologies.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
-
When deadheading, cut where the blossom's stem joins the rest of the plant—in other words, remove not only the faded flower, but the tiny stem attached to it as well.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
On offer that day were fish tacos with shredded napa cabbage, pineapple salsa and a tangy Greek yogurt sauce on a whole grain tortilla, served with a side of cilantro lime rice and lentil stew.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
23 May 2026
-
Cyrus's black gown, from the Italian label's Fall 2015 Couture line, was made of shredded lace.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
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
Adjective
-
There’s a wonderful small moment midway through the season where Reilly’s lightly bugging out in his dingy apartment, shaking out his limbs at sharp, insectile angles to get comfortable.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
-
Margot’s room is dark and dingy, more like a cell with its anti-suicide windows, and the mattress shows unsavory traces of what looks very much like blood.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Blaine's decrepit skeleton is lying on top of Sam, confirming that The Boroughs' founder has been eliminated for good.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
This hypochlorous acid spray is pretty much the only remedy—a few spritzes after a flight or during a long travel day revive my decrepit skin.—
Abbey Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
For example, receive a new pair of socks, finally throw away that extra holey pair hiding in the back of the drawer.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 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
Adjective
-
The cleanup of the Great Molasses Flood took weeks, and, for months, everywhere that anyone had tracked molasses, including underground subway platforms, was still tacky.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Liquid soap, fabric softener, dryer sheets, and even spilled laundry products can leave behind a tacky residue on appliance surfaces.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patchy. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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