as in abandoned
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
She earns her living buying ramshackle homes, restoring them, and selling them at a profit.
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Recent Examples of ramshackle
In a few short years, Prager had carved out an expansive life as a Caribbean kingpin, transforming the ramshackle smuggling operation into a sophisticated, multicrew organization that moved tens of thousands of pounds of pot.
—
Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Later, orange lanterns carrying well-wishes floated toward the stars, mingling with the distant strains of Lao ditties from the karaoke machines of the ramshackle bars that lined the banks.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
The cacophonous construction in the film opening scene is of a ramshackle company hut for Junior’s whole family to live in — nothing more than a one-room shed, it’s cramped and unequal to the coming rainy season.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Mike Buckley designed the scenery, which includes the ramshackle cabin and children’s swing in Bountiful.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Later, orange lanterns carrying well-wishes floated toward the stars, mingling with the distant strains of Lao ditties from the karaoke machines of the ramshackle bars that lined the banks.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
The cacophonous construction in the film opening scene is of a ramshackle company hut for Junior’s whole family to live in — nothing more than a one-room shed, it’s cramped and unequal to the coming rainy season.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Mike Buckley designed the scenery, which includes the ramshackle cabin and children’s swing in Bountiful.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ramshackle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ramshackle
Adjective
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The city has been overwhelmed in recent years by an influx of abandoned and stray dogs and puppies.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
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Antonia Noori Farzan The Providence Police Department is urging drivers to stay off the road, saying that stuck and abandoned cars are causing problems and preventing the city from getting back to normal.—
Eryn Dion,
The Providence Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Nick is a young father, struggling to make ends meet in his tumbledown home and feeding his family from foodbank donations.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
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Opened in 1935 as a barbecue market in a tumbledown former Lebanese grocery near the Fort Worth Stockyards, Joe T.’s now serves up to 2,000 diners at once across seven city blocks of dining and parking.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Longtime Oak Lawn Village Board member Timothy Desmond has resigned from his post to enter into a contract with the village through his home building company to restore dilapidated properties, with the goal of putting them back on the tax rolls.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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The newborn lived in a dank and dilapidated enclosure alongside seven other lions, including his parents, Kim and Carl, said Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane World for Animals Canada, whose organization helped shut down the zoo and rescue the lions.—
Andrea Sachs,
Washington Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For years, many of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have embarked on rickety wooden boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, in a bid to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the challenges are equally steep, ranging from deteriorated infrastructure to legal uncertainty and lingering concerns over contract stability after past nationalizations.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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The trunk contained approximately 10 reels of deteriorated film — many rusted, warped, fragmented or fused together.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ramshackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ramshackle. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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