as in dime
a very small sum of money
trying to start a business on a shoestring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in spindly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shoestring
Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
Vahid Alvandifar’s narrative feature debut, made on a shoestring budget, touches on big themes with gorgeous Iranian scenery as the backdrop.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2021
Recent polls show that public opinion of Trump is souring as former Vice President Joe Biden pulls ahead in crucial swing states, despite a shoestring campaign and self-confinement to his Delaware home.
—Justin Sink, Bloomberg.com, 12 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for shoestring
Noun
Mickela Mallozzi dances with the same fervor that Anthony Bourdain brought to eating, that Sam Brown brings to vacationing, and that Rick Steves brings to doing Europe on a shoestring.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
Vahid Alvandifar’s narrative feature debut, made on a shoestring budget, touches on big themes with gorgeous Iranian scenery as the backdrop.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The nonpartisan Wahl-O-Mat runs on a shoestring annual budget of 100,000 euros, or $120,000, with just three staff members under the aegis of the federal agency for civic education (BPB), Pamela Brandt, project manager since 2004, said in an interview.
—Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2021
Recent polls show that public opinion of Trump is souring as former Vice President Joe Biden pulls ahead in crucial swing states, despite a shoestring campaign and self-confinement to his Delaware home.
—Justin Sink, Bloomberg.com, 12 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for shoestring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoestring
Noun
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Ideas are a dime a dozen, right?—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Williams ended the drought with a layup off a dime from Arnold, and Strong began to heat up with six of her points coming in the third quarter alone.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Thin Seedlings as Needed One of the most common reasons carrots develop spindly roots is that they’re planted too closely together.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Mar. 2026
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In Low Light Don't plant your tomatoes in a shady spot, where the plants will grow spindly and set very little fruit.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Use a bit of hair powder to keep your bangs from appearing stringy.—
Krista Carter,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
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It's typically dried rather than eaten raw, with a brittle shell and stringy pulp that's traditionally cracked open and steeped to make a mildly sweet, herbal tea.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Hadid and Robbie both ditched long length for a pageboy bob and wispy fringe—and their different takes on the look prove just how versatile this trending cut can be.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
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For all its public association with queerness, ballet remains largely committed to a frail, wispy femininity and a princely but muscular and explosive masculinity—with the stringent, often punishing body-shape standards to match.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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All types of roses, except climbing varieties, can be pruned to remove long canes, dead or declining portions and twiggy growths.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
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Wholesale shearing results in plants with dense foliage atop dead, twiggy branches.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The lanky, athletic Raiders (who have six players who are 6-foot-3 or taller) completely shut down Cherry Creek in the Great 8 by allowing only 12 first-half points.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
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Nansen, tall, lanky, and sporting neon Vuarnet shades, greets me with a firm handshake.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Moss-colored chaise longues in the living area, piled with pillows and wool blankets, are perfectly positioned to take in the view, as are the four-poster beds with wool-blend mattresses and willowy gauzy curtains.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
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Given the differences in Western and Eastern beauty standards, and the realities of setting a romance in the hockey world, neither Shane nor Ilya fit the mold of BL’s feminine, willowy bishonen.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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At the Upper West Side outpost of the Strand, the actor is a reedy presence, his small figure buried in a large North Face winter jacket and topped with a shock of curly hair.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
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Park lakes and reedy little streams—anything not too polluted from the steel factories.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoestring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoestring. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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