1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
I loved that threadbare shirt, but after 10 years of wear, it was time to throw it away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
never knew that she had so many threadbare relatives until she won the lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 threadbare
Along the way, there were genre pitstops, where Duvall could always be relied upon to turn formulaic roles into far more than the sum of their threadbare parts (1973’s The Outfit, 1975’s The Killer Elite).
—
Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026
As deaf servant Firs, Howard Swain swaddles the whole clan in a delicate, threadbare gauze.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Other varieties include a fun skirt with a threadbare T-shirt, or Brandy Melville basics offset by aggressively A-lister sunglasses.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
But even that threadbare defense isn’t true.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026
As deaf servant Firs, Howard Swain swaddles the whole clan in a delicate, threadbare gauze.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Other varieties include a fun skirt with a threadbare T-shirt, or Brandy Melville basics offset by aggressively A-lister sunglasses.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
But even that threadbare defense isn’t true.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threadbare
Adjective
-
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
-
The decedent lived in a dilapidated house, but in a respectable neighborhood, and I was therefore deluged with credit card offers addressed to the late debtor, a long-time devoted heroin addict.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In the foreground of the painting was a car encampment with a tattered floral sheet woven through the windows, cloth tarps and couch cushions creating a shield against the elements.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Many wore tattered flip-flops or shoes that offered little protection.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As Rose’s impoverished yet imperious mother Ruth, Parson’s dry deliveries offer great comic ballast to this ship of fools.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Jack grew up in an impoverished single-parent household and David is from a wealthy Texan family.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For patients living with rare and neglected diseases, the next breakthrough treatment might already be sitting in a pharmaceutical company’s filing cabinet.—
Annette Bakker,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Music lovers tired of paying hundreds of dollars to see big-name acts may be getting some relief.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her association with Nuyorican bandleader and timbalero Tito Puente provided the perfect transition from the honeyed sheen of La Matancera to the ragged, visceral feel of Seventies salsa.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Sharp mower blades also create cleaner cuts, which helps grass retain moisture instead of losing it through ragged blade tips.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Braves couldn’t overcome a poor start from Reynaldo López and saw their six-game winning streak fall by the wayside in an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In the days leading up to his fatal overdose, Prince was in poor health and was forced to cancel shows in Atlanta.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
