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Threadbare is an English word with synonyms like banal or unoriginal. Below you'll find 10+ example sentences showing how it's used in practice.

Rare word

Threadbare in a sentence

Threadbare meaning

  1. Of cloth, clothing, furnishings, etc.: frayed and worn to an extent that the nap is damaged and the warp and weft threads show; shabby, worn-out.
  2. In poor condition; damaged, shabby; also, poorly equipped or provided for, inadequate, meagre, scanty.
  3. Of an argument, excuse, etc.: used so often that it is no longer effective or interesting; banal, clichéd, trite.

Synonyms of Threadbare

banal unoriginal well-worn trite tired timeworn stock shopworn old-hat hackneyed commonplace worn

Related words

Other words often associated with Threadbare or its synonyms:

prosaic flower dead derelict antique handle eared provide weary aged humdrum handgrip

Using Threadbare

  • The main meaning on this page is: Of cloth, clothing, furnishings, etc.: frayed and worn to an extent that the nap is damaged and the warp and weft threads show; shabby, worn-out. | In poor condition; damaged, shabby; also, poorly equipped or provided for, inadequate, meagre, scanty. | Of an argument, excuse, etc.: used so often that it is no longer effective or interesting; banal, clichéd, trite.
  • Useful related words include: banal, unoriginal, well-worn, trite.
  • In the example corpus, threadbare often appears in combinations such as: threadbare and, the threadbare, threadbare squad.

Context around Threadbare

  • Average sentence length in these examples: 23.1 words
  • Position in the sentence: 3 start, 9 middle, 8 end
  • Sentence types: 20 statements, 0 questions, 0 exclamations

Often before:

bit 1× pretty 1× little 1× look 1× clearly 1×

Often after:

squad 2× clothes 1× spruce 1× ensign 1× story 1× social 1× safety 1× uniform 1× burgundy 1×

Sentence patterns with Threadbare

These short patterns come directly from the example sentences and show how the word is often embedded:

a little threadbare she said 1× as the threadbare safety net 1× at the threadbare burgundy upholstery 1× becomes very threadbare and the 1× discussing it threadbare 1× have a threadbare squad because 1× his rather threadbare uniform 1× is a threadbare but exciting 1×

Sentence openings and endings

Common sentence openings:

an extract from 1× as the threadbare 1× by 1910 or 1× captain ludvig kahlen 1× contrary to any 1× his video commercials 1×

Common sentence endings:

alice in 1878 1× and protest marches 1× become more important 1× discussing it threadbare 1× due to injuries 1× fresh ironed pair 1×

Words around Threadbare

Just before it in the word index:

thread 1.119 thre 6 thraxx 3 thrax 2 thrawn 60 thraupidae 2

Just after it in the word index:

threaded 126 threader 6 threadfin 2 threadgill 4 threading 78 threadless 2

Similar in corpus frequency:

aditi 51 aegon 51 aerobics 51 aetna 51 aficionado 51 aflw 51

Corpus analysis for Threadbare

  • In this selection, "threadbare" usually appears in the middle of the sentence. The average example has 23.1 words, and this corpus slice is mostly made up of statements.
  • Around the word, bit, pretty, little, squad, clothes and spruce stand out and add context to how "threadbare" is used.
  • Recognizable usage signals include a little threadbare she said and as the threadbare safety net. That gives this page its own corpus information beyond isolated example sentences.
  • By corpus frequency, "threadbare" sits close to words such as aditi, aegon and aerobics, which helps place it inside the broader word index.

Example types with threadbare

The same corpus examples are grouped by length and sentence type, making it easier to see the contexts in which the word appears:

Short example sentences

Its intelligence is clearly threadbare. (5 words)

Instead, I picked at the threadbare burgundy upholstery. (8 words)

Southend already have a threadbare squad because of their ongoing off the field issues. (14 words)

Longer example sentences

An extract from the 42-year-old Scobie's new book Endgame published in reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair. (36 words)

The movie’s threadbare story can be gathered from the snippets of dialogue between Kevin and Kaylee, a 4-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister, who find themselves lost in their own home. (36 words)

As the threadbare safety net in this country is further dismantled by Trump and his cronies, the necessity of coming together to provide support for medical care and other essentials will only become more important. (35 words)

Example sentences (20)

An extract from the 42-year-old Scobie's new book Endgame published in reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair.

Contrary to any stereotypes you may have heard, frugal people aren’t gaunt, gloomy misers with threadbare clothes and an air of permanent sadness.

His video commercials incessantly pleading for more money and arms and his “GI Joe” act in military fatigues from central casting are becoming as tedious as they are threadbare.

If she gets into films or reality shows, her life is made," said a colleague in the office, a women journalist examining the video and discussing it threadbare.

Locals furious at 'shocking' Christmas tree ahead of festive lights switch-on Council workers put a smattering of lights on the threadbare spruce ahead of a Christmas lights switch-on event.

Now, between ageing and injuries, it seems their roster is pretty threadbare and their record shows it.

Perhaps its most poignant treasure is this threadbare ensign, which was recovered from the wreck of the Princess Alice in 1878.

Southend already have a threadbare squad because of their ongoing off the field issues.

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Sure, his clothes may have been a little threadbare, she said, and he didn’t own a computer.

The movie’s threadbare story can be gathered from the snippets of dialogue between Kevin and Kaylee, a 4-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister, who find themselves lost in their own home.

The Whites are in desperate need of additions with Farke already down to a threadbare squad due to injuries.

This gets especially noticeable toward the end of the game when gameplay becomes very threadbare, and the story approaches incoherence.

This is the reality for poor benefits applicants in the U.S., where bipartisan vigilance against supposed “welfare queens” (an invention of the racist imagination) has steadily unstitched the already-threadbare social safety net.

As the threadbare safety net in this country is further dismantled by Trump and his cronies, the necessity of coming together to provide support for medical care and other essentials will only become more important.

By 1910 or so, Lower Main Street was beginning to look threadbare and forlorn.

Captain Ludvig Kahlen (a steely, inscrutable ) has little to his name beyond his reputation as a fine soldier, and his rather threadbare uniform.

Even in the localities it won, its majorities have been slashed, and in some it now leads by the most threadbare of margins.

Instead, I picked at the threadbare burgundy upholstery.

It is a threadbare but exciting life that takes her on freight cars and on horseback across a landscape of hobo encampments, polo grounds and protest marches.

Its intelligence is clearly threadbare.

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Common combinations with threadbare

These word pairs occur most frequently in English texts:

Frequently asked questions

How do you use "threadbare" in a sentence?
An example: "An extract from the 42-year-old Scobie's new book Endgame published in reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair." This page contains 10+ example sentences with the word "threadbare" from authentic English texts.
What does "threadbare" mean?
Threadbare means: Of cloth, clothing, furnishings, etc.: frayed and worn to an extent that the nap is damaged and the warp and weft threads show; shabby, worn-out.
What are synonyms of "threadbare"?
Common synonyms of "threadbare" include: banal, unoriginal, well-worn, trite, tired, timeworn, stock, shopworn. Plus 4 more synonyms.
How many example sentences with "threadbare" are there?
Voorbeeldzinnen.info contains at least 10+ example sentences with "threadbare", drawn from a database of millions of English sentences.