How to Use thin in a Sentence

thin

1 of 3 adjective
  • When rolling the beignet dough, take care not to go too thin.
    Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 20 July 2023
  • Last week, the impact of the bridge mishap could be seen in the thin walk-in lunch crowds.
    David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
  • Also, thin out the inside growth so that sun and air can reach all the leaves.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2023
  • This came today and looked very thin in the package...wrong!
    Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 4 Apr. 2023
  • Redirect the growth of out-of-bounds shoots and thin trees and shrubs as needed.
    Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2023
  • Simply apply a thin line of gel to the tray and wear for 30 minutes for up to 14 days.
    Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2023
  • The crust is thin, but just thick enough to keep the structural integrity of the slice intact.
    Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023
  • Throughout the hearing the judges were polite, but by the end that patience seemed to wear thin.
    Kyle Whitmire | Kwhitmire@al.com, al, 16 Aug. 2023
  • And yet: Well, there’s some pretty thin gruel on this one.
    Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
  • The unreal way the corona wafts around the moon in a thin flaming circle.
    Joanne Spataro, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • This may need to be a thin option as many small bags don’t have room for large, chunky cases.
    Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2024
  • Vanadis’s eyes look like two giant, shiny red balloons that have been strapped to a thin worm’s body.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
  • Flour: Thickens the batter just enough for a thin, crisp texture.
    Joy Howard, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023
  • First, pick a quiet moment and suggest to him that the Ann jokes are wearing thin.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
  • This striped style is a lightweight and thinner option — more like a mat than a plush rug — that isn't hard to pack and move.
    Amanda Constantine, Good Housekeeping, 31 Mar. 2023
  • Its 7-inch thickness is supportive enough for any bed but thin enough to use in a bunk.
    Sabrina Rojas Weiss, Parents, 11 July 2023
  • The lip oil has a thinner consistency compared to the lip balm.
    Dianna Mazzone, Allure, 18 Jan. 2024
  • Some monkeys wear name-brand clothing and sport gold chains around their thin, hairy necks.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2024
  • Having tested the shoes on both the treadmill and rain-soaked trails, what struck me most was the strength of the polyurethane foam sole and thin nubuck leather uppers.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2023
  • Some customers do note that the comforter may be too thin — but then again that may be ideal.
    Good Housekeeping, 7 Sep. 2023
  • Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread (this will keep it from scorching on the griddle).
    Jill Wendholt Silva, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
  • Salvatore Filmes took on the financing of the film – tough in Brazil as finance has proved thin on the ground over the last few years.
    Callum McLennan, Variety, 22 Dec. 2023
  • Initially, it's wrapped in a thin red fruit that's peeled off during the cleaning process.
    Jaina Grey, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024
  • However, this curler from Chanel did just that thanks to its thin design that is able to get right to the base of the lash and provide a close curl.
    Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 9 July 2023
  • Focus the glitter at the base of the cuticle and thin it out toward the center of the nail for a diffused effect.
    Marissa Oliva, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Because the branch was too thin to walk on, the birds had to grasp it with their feet and beak, leaving their body hanging below.
    Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
  • The thin, breathable fabric makes these some of the best sheets for summertime or for hot sleepers.
    Deanne Revel, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2023
  • And that's to say nothing of the thin, blister-inducing straps most sandals have.
    Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2023
  • Maegan is starting to look a little thin and all signs point to danger.
    Hilton Als, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2023
  • The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.
    Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2024
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thin

2 of 3 verb
  • The haze thinned in the late afternoon.
  • He added a little more water to thin the gravy.
  • His face has been thinned by illness.
  • Through tonight: Clouds will thin out and break up through the night.
    Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2022
  • The main side effect of any steroid use is thinning of the skin.
    Heather L. Brannon, Md, Verywell Health, 27 Jan. 2024
  • The crowd had thinned by the time the Alexandria City High School junior — the 61st speaker of the night — had her turn.
    Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2023
  • Which is not to say the cinephile crowds have completely thinned.
    A.a. Dowd, Chron, 16 Mar. 2023
  • If your snot is like molasses, drink up to help thin it out.
    Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 6 Sep. 2022
  • There's less time spent waiting in lift lines, as crowds tend to thin out.
    Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Mar. 2023
  • This paint sprayer is ready to work in minutes and there’s no need to thin any paint with this tool.
    Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2023
  • If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta liquid to thin it out.
    Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 9 Aug. 2023
  • What are the leading causes of thinning hair and hair loss?
    Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 4 Aug. 2023
  • At around 11:30 pm, the room began to thin out and guests headed out into the warm night.
    Isiah Magsino, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2022
  • The crowd thins as people rotate in and out of the downstairs smoking room.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
  • If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of additional broth to thin it out. 8.
    Mallory Arnold, Outside Online, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Google has also faced pressure to cut costs and thin its ranks.
    Kevin Draper, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022
  • No one from Chez Panisse came out to talk to the crowd, which started to thin out after about an hour and a half.
    Elena Kadvany, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2022
  • The summer crowds have thinned, the air is crisp and cool, and the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, red and yellow.
    Linnea Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2024
  • Now, the talent pool has thinned out and good staff is really hard to come by.
    Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2023
  • Over time, the cushioning there seems to be thinning, too.
    Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2023
  • Check again in a few months because fabric can thin out or fade over time.
    Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 7 July 2022
  • The soup should be brothy—add hot water to thin it if necessary.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024
  • Maltman’s diction, though, lacked punch, and his voice thinned out on the lower end.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
  • The Colts’ depth chart behind Taylor has been thinned the last couple of weeks.
    The Indianapolis Star, 8 Aug. 2023
  • With the strikes thinning out the 2024 film slate, will buyers have more of an appetite for indies?
    Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Red lentils subbed in nicely for the green, and tomato paste thinned with broth replaced the tomato sauce.
    Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 5 Jan. 2024
  • As the glacier lifts and migrates, the water can rush in for over a mile, thinning the ice by as much a 250 feet a year in some places.
    Chris Mooney, Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2023
  • Still, Yang wasn’t thinking about her own plight that day as the lunchtime crowd in Foley Square began to thin.
    Tatiana Siegel, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2022
  • Fenugreek may thin the blood, increasing the action of blood thinners.
    Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 24 Mar. 2024
  • Inadvertently causing clouds to thin out and rain might lead to more heating.
    Justine Calma, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
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thin

3 of 3 adverb
  • She sliced the cheese thin.
  • Staffing’s been tough and the supply chain has stretched thin at times.
    Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, 31 Dec. 2020
  • Sweet potatoes are sliced thin to line the base of a cast iron pan.
    Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2022
  • Economies already stretched thin before the virus lie on the precipice of ruin.
    BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2020
  • The trade leaves the Ravens thin on inside cornerbacks.
    Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 26 Aug. 2021
  • With three key players out, that left the Blazers’ bench thin.
    oregonlive, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Yet Atomic Heart doesn't feel stretched thin, at least so far.
    Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2023
  • If you're already stretched thin, adding a mortgage to the mix likely isn't a great idea.
    Becca Stanek, The Week, 12 Jan. 2023
  • The Colorado River is stretched thin:Can the 100-year-old rules that divide it still work?
    Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2023
  • The line is healthy, Dak is back and patience is wearing thin around Dallas.
    Dallas News, 2 July 2021
  • There was only one Lou, and even Lou's ranting act wore thin here.
    Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2020
  • At the same time, boards, staff and volunteers have been stretched thin over the pandemic months.
    Dallas News, 24 June 2021
  • One’s patience with the remove from the action wears thin all too quickly.
    Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2020
  • Mackey said the staff had been spread too thin recently.
    Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Dec. 2022
  • Many people are stressed and spread thin, and the isolation isn’t helping.
    Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 13 Jan. 2021
  • Enjoy the solitude of nature when the campsites, trails, and climbing crowds thin out.
    Matt Jancer, Wired, 27 Nov. 2020
  • The 26-year-old sprinter, built thin with a mop of black hair and faint beard, wasn’t supposed to compete in the long jump at the Paralympics.
    Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2021
  • The agencies that take care of at-risk children are swamped, and their resources stretched thin, experts say.
    Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2022
  • When baked up thin in a sheet pan, sponge cake can be rolled with fillings, as in the Christmas classic, Buche de Noel.
    Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 21 Apr. 2022
  • Democrats argued many of these steps would still leave the state government stretched thin given the state's growth and the cuts of the last recession.
    Andrew Oxford, azcentral, 24 Mar. 2020
  • It’s sliced thin, giving each piece a tender middle and a thin coating of crunchy skin.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2023
  • Costs pile up fast, leaving some parents stretched thin.
    Collin Robisheaux, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Aug. 2022
  • Now Oakland has reputable al pastor, shaved thin from a trompo and topped with a shard of pineapple.
    Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Oct. 2022
  • My go-to on the dinner menu is the truly unique chicken parm, which is pounded out thin and breaded.
    Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 21 Sep. 2021
  • The Lakers were being stretched thin by the Utah Jazz offense, shooters all over the court while the team attacked the paint and quickly shot the ball back to the perimeter.
    Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2021
  • After sweeping to power, the Taliban found its forces stretched thin.
    Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2021
  • With resources already stretched thin, kids with fewer needs are getting the beds.
    Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2022
  • The confident menu includes prime rib, four ways: carved thin; cut thick; cut thicker; and Pop’s Cut, a 28-ounce bone-in big boy.
    Dallas News, 16 Nov. 2022
  • The beef version is even better, with meat sliced thin then chopped into shards that brim with rich hickory smoke.
    Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2023
  • Putin seeks further support for his war in Ukraine as military resources are stretched thin, while Kim's regime is pushing for assistance with its space program and its desiccated economy.
    Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 13 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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