in tatters
idiom
: clothes that are old and badly torn
They were dressed in tatters.
—often used figurativelyAfter the war, the economy was in tatters.
Her hopes lay in tatters.
Examples of in tatters in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scope of destruction has become clearer as people slowly have regained access to neighborhoods, often only to find their homes in tatters or washed away completely.
—
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
The full force of Hurricane Helene has been unleashed on Western North Carolina and Florida’s Gulf Coast, with large portions of the Southeast left ravaged and homes in tatters.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The sheer extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene won't become clear until the sun comes up, but already the affected region's power network is in tatters, with 2 million in the dark.
—NBC News, 28 Sep. 2024
And this season, with the rotation in tatters and the bullpen overtaxed, the more time off the better.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in tatters 
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Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
The full force of Hurricane Helene has been unleashed on Western North Carolina and Florida’s Gulf Coast, with large portions of the Southeast left ravaged and homes in tatters.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The sheer extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene won't become clear until the sun comes up, but already the affected region's power network is in tatters, with 2 million in the dark.
—NBC News, 28 Sep. 2024
And this season, with the rotation in tatters and the bullpen overtaxed, the more time off the better.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in tatters
Dictionary Entries Near in tatters
Cite this Entry
“In tatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20tatters. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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