Synonyms
Examples of thin in a Sentence
Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023
Related: Triston Casas isn’t concerned with challenging Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson for Rookie of the Year
ETC.
Dodgers’ depth is being tested
The Dodgers' pitching staff is looking a little thin.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023
In impersonating a would-be pornographer, Jake discovers how thin the line is that separates his own sober enterprise from the business of pornography.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2023
Focus the glitter at the base of the cuticle and thin it out toward the center of the nail for a diffused effect.
—Marissa Oliva, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023
Some customers do note that the comforter may be too thin — but then again that may be ideal.
—Good Housekeeping, 7 Sep. 2023
First, pick a quiet moment and suggest to him that the Ann jokes are wearing thin.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
Without Cupp, the Rams are awfully thin at wide receiver.
—oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2023
Insider roster analysis:Colts still thin in several spots after cutting to 53
But Taylor is not the only party who lost out in the team’s inability to strike a trade this week.
—The Indianapolis Star, 29 Aug. 2023
David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2023
Retinol thickens the deeper skin layers, but actually thins out the outer skin layer.
—Margaux Anbouba, ELLE, 31 Aug. 2023
September is considered one of the best months to visit the Greek islands, as the weather is still sunny and warm, and the crowds have thinned out.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023
Many municipalities may not make certain strategies, including thinning oversized forests by cutting trees and shrubbery and conducting prescribed burns to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, a priority, Bozzo said.
—USA TODAY, 20 Aug. 2023
Saline nose drops: Squeezing saline nose drops into your little one's nasal passages thins the mucus, making the bulb syringe more effective.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 18 Aug. 2023
The council’s moderate ranks are thinning with the retirement of the body’s longest-serving members: Baker, of Dorchester, and Councilor Michael Flaherty, who represents the city at-large.
—Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023
Very cold liquids and hot liquids (like chicken noodle soup or decaffeinated tea) are best for thinning out mucus.
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023
Prune out and dispose of all diseased leaves and stems in the fall while thinning the planting to increase air movement to promote drying.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2023
Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2023
To make kouign amman the classic way, take a yeast dough, roll it thin, sprinkle it with sugar, then fold and stack the dough on top of itself to create a layer.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2023
Expansion Moving to a global effort can sometimes spread an organization dangerously thin, taxing the infrastructure and personnel.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023
Evert by then was flagging, her intensity worn thin.
—Sally Jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, 3 July 2023
Miles, stretched thin from leading his secret double life as Brooklyn’s favorite superhero, misses his friend Gwen, and ends up following her into the multiverse.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023
The Colorado River is stretched thin:Can the 100-year-old rules that divide it still work?
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2023
In Anderson’s ideal world, mental health providers could quickly divert their attention to patients experiencing severe crises rather than being spread thin across all patients.
—Bhav Jain, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2023
But the gimmick wears thin quickly.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Adjective
Middle English thin, thinne, going back to Old English þynne, going back to Germanic *þunnu- (assimilated to the -ja-stem adjectives in West Germanic, whence Middle Dutch dunne "thin," Old High German dunni, against Old Norse þunnr), generalized from a paradigm *þenu-, *þunw-a-, going back to Indo-European *ténh2u-, *tn̥h2u̯ó-, whence also, from with a base *tenh2u-, *tn̥h2u- with varying ablaut and suffixation, Old Irish tanae "thin, slender," Old Welsh teneu, Middle Breton tanau, Latin tenuis "fine-drawn, thin, narrow, slight," Greek tanu- "extended, long," tanaós "outstretched, long," Old Church Slavic tĭnŭkŭ "fine, delicate," Russian tónkij "thin," Croatian & Serbian tȁnak, Lithuanian tę́vas, Sanskrit tanúḥ, tánukaḥ "thin, small"
Note: Indo-European *tenh2u-, *tn̥h2u- is usually taken to be a derivative of the verbal base *ten- "stretch, extend"; see tenant entry 1.
Verb
Middle English thinnen, going back to Old English þynnian, derivative of þynne thin entry 1
Adverb
Middle English thynne, derivative of thin, thinne thin entry 1
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Adverb
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing thin
Dictionary Entries Near thin
Cite this Entry
“Thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
thin
1 of 2 adjectivethin
2 of 2 verb
More from Merriam-Webster on thin
Nglish: Translation of thin for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of thin for Arabic Speakers
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