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
Later, orange lanterns carrying well-wishes floated toward the stars, mingling with the distant strains of Lao ditties from the karaoke machines of the ramshackle bars that lined the banks.
—
Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
The cacophonous construction in the film opening scene is of a ramshackle company hut for Junior’s whole family to live in — nothing more than a one-room shed, it’s cramped and unequal to the coming rainy season.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Mike Buckley designed the scenery, which includes the ramshackle cabin and children’s swing in Bountiful.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
So now, the ramshackle Coinjock School sits in the restaurant’s backyard and his plan for restoration keeps getting more ambitious with each passing year.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
The cacophonous construction in the film opening scene is of a ramshackle company hut for Junior’s whole family to live in — nothing more than a one-room shed, it’s cramped and unequal to the coming rainy season.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Mike Buckley designed the scenery, which includes the ramshackle cabin and children’s swing in Bountiful.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
So now, the ramshackle Coinjock School sits in the restaurant’s backyard and his plan for restoration keeps getting more ambitious with each passing year.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ramshackle
Adjective
-
The city has been overwhelmed in recent years by an influx of abandoned and stray dogs and puppies.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Antonia Noori Farzan The Providence Police Department is urging drivers to stay off the road, saying that stuck and abandoned cars are causing problems and preventing the city from getting back to normal.—
Eryn Dion,
The Providence Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
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
-
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
-
The city announced the move to the East Village in March, as part of the plan to close the dilapidated and sometimes violence-prone 30th Street center.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Its dilapidated state and lack of funding — just $25,000 was budgeted for programming by the city last year — prevents the facility from offering a full slate of services for residents.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For years, many of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have embarked on rickety wooden boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, in a bid to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The trunk contained approximately 10 reels of deteriorated film — many rusted, warped, fragmented or fused together.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
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The rehab project at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was sorely needed to repair deteriorated stone, metal and glass that adorns the limestone exterior.—
Dylan Lovan,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ramshackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ramshackle. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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