1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of threadbare
This score, too, is remarkably threadbare.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
But China’s issue is especially acute, with a growing cohort of retirees and a shrinking number of workers, all grappling with a threadbare social-safety net.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Parrish stood at the wheel, his gimlet eyes surveying the water beneath a threadbare Pink Floyd cap.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
The threadbare ballads from ’90s indie rock records that could have been breakthrough hits if presented in slightly cleaner fidelity.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
But China’s issue is especially acute, with a growing cohort of retirees and a shrinking number of workers, all grappling with a threadbare social-safety net.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Parrish stood at the wheel, his gimlet eyes surveying the water beneath a threadbare Pink Floyd cap.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
The threadbare ballads from ’90s indie rock records that could have been breakthrough hits if presented in slightly cleaner fidelity.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threadbare
Adjective
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But these Brown and Black immigrants were usually segregated into dilapidated apartments in the region’s oldest housing stock.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The guy handed Gary some cash and Stewart disappeared into a dilapidated trailer.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 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
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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
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But there’s a certain magic in the tattered, the torn, and the un-trashable gear in our closets.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
-
My tattered copy of the book has Ann’s acknowledgements at the front.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Surrounded by some of the most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods, White Stadium has long been a refuge for residents to take morning walks, play high school sports, see concerts, attend rallies, or send their children to summer camps.—
Riley Rourke,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
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Centuries of penal laws had left Catholics as impoverished tenant farmers, while Protestants – wealthier and less reliant on the crop – had greater resources to survive.—
Paula Kane,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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It’s been this way for far too long in the Bay State where independent voters are growing tired of this old act.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
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Sami’s hair and beard were gray, and his thick eyebrows arched over his tired walnut eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Though few natural-history buffs realize it, many of them have admired the handiwork of this unusual company, located in the ragged outskirts of Oklahoma City, for decades.—
Jeff Wilson,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
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Daniel Arnold—whose street work picks up from Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz, but with a ragged edge of comic mayhem—goes wild on one of the show’s large walls.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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