as in abandoned
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
She earns her living buying ramshackle homes, restoring them, and selling them at a profit.
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Recent Examples of ramshackle
Advertisement Wright has made some charming and entertaining pictures, among them the ramshackle zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, from 2004, and a delightful 2021 documentary, The Sparks Brothers, about brothers Ron and Russell Mael, otherwise known as the art-pop duo Sparks.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
Akın Balık Akın Balık, a seemingly ramshackle restaurant, comes alive at night, glittering with strings of lights and lanterns.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
White’s performance of the song on Austin City Limits in 1980, which was eventually released as the album Live in Austin, TX, is a ramshackle revelation.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
The series, based on novels by Mick Herron, follows a band of castoffs from the British national security service who are relegated to a ramshackle office building, with Lamb at its head.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
Akın Balık Akın Balık, a seemingly ramshackle restaurant, comes alive at night, glittering with strings of lights and lanterns.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
White’s performance of the song on Austin City Limits in 1980, which was eventually released as the album Live in Austin, TX, is a ramshackle revelation.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
The series, based on novels by Mick Herron, follows a band of castoffs from the British national security service who are relegated to a ramshackle office building, with Lamb at its head.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ramshackle
Adjective
-
The abandoned Westminster Mall has turned into a hotspot for vandalism since shuttering in late 2025, according to police who are attempting to raise awareness about the issue.—
Lesley Marin,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Rogers is shopworker Polly Parrish, who gets mistakenly identified as the parent of an abandoned baby.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Nick is a young father, struggling to make ends meet in his tumbledown home and feeding his family from foodbank donations.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
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Opened in 1935 as a barbecue market in a tumbledown former Lebanese grocery near the Fort Worth Stockyards, Joe T.’s now serves up to 2,000 diners at once across seven city blocks of dining and parking.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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The project was planned to clear the area of outdated and dilapidated buildings, to attract new businesses and promote economic revitalization.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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The trip could also see China give the go-ahead for the UK to rebuild its dilapidated embassy in Beijing.—
Brendan Murray,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The result was a gleaming skyscraper held up by some rickety wooden boards, duct tape, and magic.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
14 Nov. 2025
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Everything looks so rickety — this stadium wasn’t built for pandemonium like this.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As security conditions improved and families began returning, the deteriorated sanitation system posed growing public health risks, particularly for children and women.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Work included fabrication and installation of custom steel brackets to reinforce structural connections, repairs to deteriorated components, and electrical and lighting improvements to enhance safety and usability.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ramshackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ramshackle. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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