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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective threadbare differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of threadbare are hackneyed, stereotyped, and trite. While all these words mean "lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest," threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.

a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

When is it sensible to use hackneyed instead of threadbare?

The words hackneyed and threadbare can be used in similar contexts, but hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless.

all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

In what contexts can stereotyped take the place of threadbare?

In some situations, the words stereotyped and threadbare are roughly equivalent. However, stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.

views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

When could trite be used to replace threadbare?

The synonyms trite and threadbare are sometimes interchangeable, but trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity.

"you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

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 The costumes were as threadbare as the plot, and the acting was a complete mess. Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025 One of the canines was wrapped in a spring protruding from a broken, threadbare couch, and yelping for help when cops arrived at the filthy apartment in the Belmont section of the Bronx on Aug. 4, officials said. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2025 An already threadbare Everton squad has been weakened further with departures. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 Plus, they’re made of a far softer, cozier fabric than the threadbare fleece blankets airlines typically provide. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threadbare
Adjective
  • Additionally, several existing dilapidated buildings on the site will be demolished and their concrete recycled and partly reused to realize the new structures.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Skyridge will send you its tattered battle plans during its long trip back to Utah.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?
    John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The walk is presided over by its creator, a mysterious authoritarian figure known as the Major (Mark Hamill) who extolls the sadistic contest as a boon for the spirits of the impoverished American people.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Probably the one that’s best known is the one about how Philomelus, a young, impoverished farmer and herdsman, struggled to push his plow through his fields.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.
    Jimmy Camp, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Close the Loop Following through on commitments is the simplest and yet shockingly most neglected way to earn long-term trust.
    Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Adjective
  • Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • At the time, Latinos were often cast in stereotyped roles with heavy accents and largely denied the opportunity to direct features.
    Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The original Toxic Avenger was made for chump change and wore its low-budget nature proudly, while this version, which was shot in Bulgaria in 2021 and involves both practical and digital effects, tries to evoke that ragged aesthetic while working with more resources.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Frost is, by reputation, perhaps the foremost poet of rural, non-coastal New England — of birches and apple trees, of forests blanketed in snow, of pastures sliced by ragged stone walls, and of the flinty, self-sufficient kind of temperament that flourishes in those places.
    A.O. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Cutting carbs entirely can raise the risk of cholesterol, kidney stones, poor bone health, gut problems, and even cancer, added Stefanki.
    Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Before Wednesday’s game, people within the organization were optimistic about Helsley putting his tipping problem and overall poor pitching behind him, pointing to a clean inning Monday.
    Will Sammon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Reed got her first gig at Cataloochee at the age of 19 in 1996 and has never tired of the work.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Manning’s inefficiency was on full display, and the Longhorns faithful grew tired of it during the first half.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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