patchy

adjective

Definition of patchynext
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 As Greenhalgh wrote, the engineers had stitched together patchy data and extrapolated it to two decimal points with false precision. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Regardless of the patchy progress on some of Saudi’s most ambitious projects, visitors will see a country barely recognizable from the recent past. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026 Grass may turn limp, yellow, and patchy when there’s too much water. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 July 2026 Did anyone else think Andriy and Bobby’s explanation of what happened in the workroom felt patchy too? — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for patchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patchy
  1. dilapidated
  2. faded
  3. shredded
  4. mangy
  5. dingy
  6. decrepit
  7. holey
  8. tacky
Adjective
  • Instead, city staff could first more narrowly issue an order to repair a dilapidated historic building and then expedite approval for those repairs on the back end, without needing a hearing through the Historic Preservation Commission.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The zoo, which houses more than 1,600 animals, has become dilapidated over the years.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the Remarkably Bright Creatures star, 33, embraced a warmer approach, with off-white jeans and a faded blue shirt under a dark blue chore jacket.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Inside the homes, sunlight falls on faded posters, worn furniture, and an old radio by a window.
    — Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • Spread a 1-inch layer of mulch, such as wood chips or shredded leaves, around the soil’s surface, being careful not to pile it up against the canes to retain moisture.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The taco itself is then filled with seasoned beef, spicy ranch, lettuce, shredded cheddar and a fresh mango salsa.
    — Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 12 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
  • In response, the leader of Arioka orders Kanbei be thrown in the castle’s impeccably dingy dungeon.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Proper washing techniques and sorting by fabric type prevent socks from becoming dingy over time.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 July 2026
Definition of dingy
Adjective
  • The old guard will become increasingly decrepit, which will lead to a rash of vacancies one way or another.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Its buildings crumbled, the facility became decrepit, and weeds grew through the racetrack surface.
    — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of decrepit
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
Definition of holey
Adjective
  • Both my wife and I always considered artificial flowers tacky and not appropriate for cemeteries, even though lots of people decorate gravesites with them.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Its droplets contain proteins, water, salts and small molecules that help the adhesive remain soft and tacky.
    — Aliasger K. Salem, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tacky

Browse Nearby Words

patchworks
patchy
pat down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patchy. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of patchy for Spanish Speakers

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