as in dilapidated
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Recent Examples of patchy
In January, the clothing label Guess launched a rebrand campaign composed of lowercase copy in acid-yellow type over grainy selfie-style photos; the Guess logo is printed over patchy white highlights, as if someone had hastily scratched out the surface beneath the word in Photoshop.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Flight prices vary widely depending on group size and availability—but Angola’s patchy road infrastructure (or lack thereof) is not for the faint of heart, so plan accordingly.
—Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
But, right now, most employer plans offer pretty patchy coverage of GLP-1s.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Inside, the rooms look as old as the exterior, but in an open, unfussily modern way, with wide, wooden floorboards from old growth trees and patchy plaster walls.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Flight prices vary widely depending on group size and availability—but Angola’s patchy road infrastructure (or lack thereof) is not for the faint of heart, so plan accordingly.
—Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
But, right now, most employer plans offer pretty patchy coverage of GLP-1s.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Inside, the rooms look as old as the exterior, but in an open, unfussily modern way, with wide, wooden floorboards from old growth trees and patchy plaster walls.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patchy
Adjective
-
An operating license for a dilapidated Boba tea kiosk displays a 2024 expiration date.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Zaragoza stationed his men on the high ground, hidden behind cacti, behind walls of dilapidated forts, in ditches.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Leaving the faded flowers on these plants will ensure seeds develop to nurture the next generation of blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
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When deadheading, cut where the blossom's stem joins the rest of the plant—in other words, remove not only the faded flower, but the tiny stem attached to it as well.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Our recipe, which gets its creaminess from a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese, is based on the latter.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
12 May 2026
-
Pre-shredded will not compact into a ball or melt as well and create that molten center.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
To write, especially in a first draft, is to submit myself to the mangy, cackling glory of not knowing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Talking Heads played their first gig in June, 1975, opening for the Ramones at CBGB, a rock club on a mangy block in the East Village.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Margot’s room is dark and dingy, more like a cell with its anti-suicide windows, and the mattress shows unsavory traces of what looks very much like blood.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
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The result can be dingy clothes, trapped odors, excess suds and even buildup inside your washing machine.—
Ryan Brennan
May 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
This hypochlorous acid spray is pretty much the only remedy—a few spritzes after a flight or during a long travel day revive my decrepit skin.—
Abbey Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 May 2026
-
Calt had a love-hate relationship with decrepit blues genius Skip James and most likely himself.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
For example, receive a new pair of socks, finally throw away that extra holey pair hiding in the back of the drawer.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2026
-
That’s thanks to a quirk of South Florida’s geology, where the entire region is perched on holey rock that does little to stop the rise of groundwater, which Sukop’s research has shown is rising on pace with sea level.—
Susan Merriam,
Miami Herald,
12 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Her dress, makeup, hair and nails are tacky!—
Essence,
Essence,
11 May 2026
-
Canned frosting tends to be pretty stiff, thick, and tacky.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patchy. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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