threadbare

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

European allies might join the U.S. in defending the Strait, but their navies are already threadbare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

"The farmers are the poorest people in Ivory Coast," he added, showing his threadbare clothes.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Lately, it seems, the risk-averse screenwriting rules of what-should-happen-by-which-page that have steered Hollywood movies for far too long are feeling especially threadbare.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Her attorney, Abbe Lowell, dismissed the referral as “three pages of stale, threadbare allegations.”

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2025

She wore a threadbare tunic, one sleeve hanging off her too-sharp shoulder, and the skin of her legs and feet was visibly dry and cracked.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray