threadbare
adjective
thread·bare
ˈthred-ˌber 
1
2
: exhausted of interest or freshness
threadbareness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of threadbare in a Sentence
bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale
a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés
Recent Examples on the Web
But as ProPublica reported this year, court oversight of these officials is threadbare.
—
Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2024
In the late ’70s, Hooper’s movie had made its way from first-run theaters to the threadbare drive-ins of New England.
—Chris Nashawaty, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024
Nonprofits offer a wide but threadbare safety net Across the U.S., nonprofit agencies offer a range of services to people who are homeless, including shelter, housing, rehabilitation, job training and counseling.
—Morvarid Rahmani, The Conversation, 25 July 2024
Johnson was presiding over a threadbare caucus in which a motion against his job was a daily threat.
—Juliegrace Brufke, Axios, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for threadbare 
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Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2024
In the late ’70s, Hooper’s movie had made its way from first-run theaters to the threadbare drive-ins of New England.
—Chris Nashawaty, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024
Nonprofits offer a wide but threadbare safety net Across the U.S., nonprofit agencies offer a range of services to people who are homeless, including shelter, housing, rehabilitation, job training and counseling.
—Morvarid Rahmani, The Conversation, 25 July 2024
Johnson was presiding over a threadbare caucus in which a motion against his job was a daily threat.
—Juliegrace Brufke, Axios, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for threadbare
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Dictionary Entries Near threadbare
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threadbare. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
threadbare
adjective
thread·bare
ˈthred-ˌba(ə)r
-ˌbe(ə)r
1
: worn so much that the thread shows : shabby
threadbare clothes
2
: barely adequate
a threadbare store with few items
a threadbare event lacking excitement
3
: having lost freshness and interest from overuse
threadbare jokes
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