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
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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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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
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
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The state Department of Corrections is in strikingly similar dire straits with dilapidated prisons and a decreasing number of COs.—
Steve Zeidman,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ross saved the Miami Open, moving it from a dilapidated Key Biscayne venue, and retrofitting Hard Rock Stadium’s grounds for it.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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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Pieces of Maxey's tattered clothing and other evidence are being tested for animal DNA, with authorities believing the animal could be a bear, a mountain lion, or a dog, according to the outlet, which cited the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office and Oklahoma Wildlife Services.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
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Repairing the agency’s tattered credibility The CDC has long been the world’s pre-eminent public health agency.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
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The youngsters took the train south to the deep, impoverished heart of China.—
Michael Sheridan,
Vanity Fair,
8 Apr. 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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Even in Huntington Beach, residents tired of perpetual culture wars rejected two ballot measures last year seeking to give the City Council more control over a municipal library system that Van Der Mark long claimed was essentially providing pornography to children.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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Ditch those tired frozen meals and try out something a bit more exciting in your work lunch routine.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On a ragged offense, Achane had a league-leading 24 runs over 15 yards and finished third behind Cook and Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III with 40 runs over 10 yards.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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Use sharp pruners or loppers for trimming trees, to avoid making ragged cuts.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Arsenal were pretty poor but won, Sporting were pretty good but lost.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Ackman blamed its poor share price performance partly on the delay of UMG’s listing in the United States.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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