as in dime
a very small sum of money
trying to start a business on a shoestring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in spindly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shoestring
Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2021
Recent polls show that public opinion of Trump is souring as former Vice President Joe Biden pulls ahead in crucial swing states, despite a shoestring campaign and self-confinement to his Delaware home.
—Justin Sink, Bloomberg.com, 12 May 2020
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
If Grand Slam Track were ultimately successful in drawing strong ratings and crowds, there was a hope that such demand could entice more outside investors with deep pockets to pour money into a sport that often operates on shoestring budgets compared to other professional leagues.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoestring
Noun
The nonpartisan Wahl-O-Mat runs on a shoestring annual budget of 100,000 euros, or $120,000, with just three staff members under the aegis of the federal agency for civic education (BPB), Pamela Brandt, project manager since 2004, said in an interview.
—Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2021
Recent polls show that public opinion of Trump is souring as former Vice President Joe Biden pulls ahead in crucial swing states, despite a shoestring campaign and self-confinement to his Delaware home.
—Justin Sink, Bloomberg.com, 12 May 2020
Adjective
Russell’s familiarity lends itself to plausible renderings of indie fame minutiae: Dazed magazine covers, music videos shot on a shoestring budget, the buzzing high of packed, tiny concerts.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
If Grand Slam Track were ultimately successful in drawing strong ratings and crowds, there was a hope that such demand could entice more outside investors with deep pockets to pour money into a sport that often operates on shoestring budgets compared to other professional leagues.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoestring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoestring
Noun
-
The Pats replaced Spillane with Mapu for a single snap of dime personnel in the third quarter, but that was it.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The beauty of Major League Baseball is that quite often, a 162-game season can change on a dime thanks to one big swing.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In a spare dining room with concrete ceilings and spindly pendant lights, chef-owners Maria Teresa Gallina and Nicolas Martinez serve only what excites them most.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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Light pruning can be done again in the fall to remove spindly branches that could break under snow or ice.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the dressing room, after applying lipstick and rouge, Kaliardos plopped a wig of long, stringy brown hair on Costanzo’s head.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Some of the pastas from the Middle East have a lot more egg in them and are stringy.—
Jennifer Kester,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Their long, narrow wings and forked tails stand out against wispy clouds and the sun, which is surrounded by a bright halo.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Thanks to advanced image processing and stacking, the nebula's wispy filament of dust appears red and blue next to star 52 Cygni.—
Harry Bennett,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Soften the twiggy grapevine with sprigs of feathery broomcorn seed heads tucked between the garland stems.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The lanky, smooth-skating center has also worked out in previous offseasons with Nathan MacKinnon, another vital member of Colorado’s leadership group who wholeheartedly endorsed Nelson’s arrival and the idea of keeping him.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
15 Sep. 2025
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Summer pruning helps remove lanky growth and improve airflow to discourage disease and pests.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Her willowy frame takes a tremendous battering as brutes slam her into tables and through walls.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
Only two bodies remain still: Ferran’s, in one corner of the platform, and that of a young man (Jabez Sykes) diagonally across from her, tall and willowy and pale — two statues that seem moonlit while the rest of the world writhes and sweats around them.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Then, there’s a creepy, reedy Charlie Plummer doing his best Caleb Landry Jones as Gary, #5, who goads other players into shedding down to their weakest points to eliminate them.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
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Mount developed his characterization, with his reedy voice, suspicious eyes and slumped posture, on set.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoestring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoestring. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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