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
Back in the sixties, the ramshackle War on Poverty left a memory of futility.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
In a few short years, Prager had carved out an expansive life as a Caribbean kingpin, transforming the ramshackle smuggling operation into a sophisticated, multicrew organization that moved tens of thousands of pounds of pot.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
In a few short years, Prager had carved out an expansive life as a Caribbean kingpin, transforming the ramshackle smuggling operation into a sophisticated, multicrew organization that moved tens of thousands of pounds of pot.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ramshackle
Adjective
-
Born on May 13, 1958, in California, Sheets appeared on 163 episodes of Storage Wars between 2010 and 2023, vying with other buyers of abandoned and unopened storage lockers being auctioned.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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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
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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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
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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
-
But the challenges are equally steep, ranging from deteriorated infrastructure to legal uncertainty and lingering concerns over contract stability after past nationalizations.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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The trunk contained approximately 10 reels of deteriorated film — many rusted, warped, fragmented or fused together.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ramshackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ramshackle. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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