1
as in unsubstantial
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
a flimsy scarf that was more for decoration than for warmth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur
"The check is in the mail" is a pretty flimsy and tired excuse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flimsy
The flimsy construction of homes near the epicenter was one reason for the high number of casualties, residents in the area said.
—
Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025
In yet another flimsy tent, Niveen, who withholds her last name, lives with a son and four daughters – the youngest is 11 – and a grandson.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Olson’s diagnosis was similarly flimsy, and he had been treated over nearly the same period of time.
—J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flimsy 
Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025
In yet another flimsy tent, Niveen, who withholds her last name, lives with a son and four daughters – the youngest is 11 – and a grandson.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Olson’s diagnosis was similarly flimsy, and he had been treated over nearly the same period of time.
—J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flimsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimsy
Adjective
-
Salads Salads don’t have to feel flimsy or unsubstantial.—
Katie Workman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2023
-
From a personal finance perspective, people with extra cash should feel free to put an unsubstantial portion of their wealth into high-risk, high-volatility assets like crypto or meme stocks or even Super Bowl bets (thanks for the two-touchdown performance, Cooper Kupp).—
Scott Nover,
Quartz,
14 Feb. 2022
Adjective
-
As ByteDance has blocked the service, these workarounds are unlikely to be effective for long.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Admiration for Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso is unlikely to go further in the current market.—
David Ornstein,
The Athletic,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But, taking these study findings from here all the way down the drug development pipeline to where there’s a safe and effective new drug on the market is expected to take a long time and a not insubstantial amount of money.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2025
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With a not insubstantial piece of Mexico’s economy reliant on production stateside, a cessation of those inflows will logically impoverish a big number of those formerly sustained directly by remittances.—
John Tamny,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Michigan’s situation was particularly fragile given Harbaugh’s long-running flirtations with the NFL, so perhaps Ohio State will have more time to bask in the championship afterglow.—
Austin Meek,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
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Nashville, in taking control of the game against the fragile Sharks, scored twice in 53 seconds midway through the second period and added three more goals in the first 8:09 of the third.—
Curtis Pashelka,
The Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
No matter how far-fetched the premise or gossamer-thin the story, the musical invites (compels) us to go along with its essential surrealism, to travel to that dream space where everyday life suddenly moves and sounds deliriously out of this world.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
7 May 2020
-
For her label Anissa Aida, designer Anissa Meddeb, who lives in the capital, makes gossamer silk blouses evoking the striped motif of handwoven fouta towels and voluminous coats inspired by the burnoose cloaks worn by Berbers.—
Sarah Khan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2020
Adjective
-
Bridges were needed not just to fulfill a gauzy City Beautiful dream, but for practical reasons.—
Gary Kamiya,
San Francisco Chronicle,
4 Mar. 2022
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Having grown up working in his mother’s Los Angeles hair salon, Bradford adopted a primary artmaking material that is not paint, but rather small gauzy papers used to curl hair.—
Matthew Bourbon,
Dallas News,
22 Apr. 2020
Adjective
-
The war is being run by zealots who will measure their success by the sheer number of people deported.—
Letters to the editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Predictably, much has been made of the sheer scale of Trump’s Day One array, but, as ever, the devil lies in the details.—
The Editors,
National Review,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, the United States must engage in a delicate diplomatic maneuver of its own: stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons without driving Tehran into Moscow’s arms.—
Nicole Grajewski,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Jan. 2025
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When Cal is murdered while under Secret Service protection, the delicate balance of life in the town is thrown into chaos, much to the dismay of powerful billionaire Samantha Redmond (Nicholson), who has way more influence than seems normal.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
27 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near flimsy
Cite this Entry
“Flimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimsy. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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