| Subject | English | Russian |
| idiom. | be thin on the ground | редко встречаться (Порядочные люди нынче редко встречаются. 4uzhoj) |
| idiom. | be thin on the ground | быть редкостью (By the mid-1970s, managers and executives in the late 30s to late 40s age group were thin on the ground. 4uzhoj) |
| gen. | get thin on top | облысеть (Anglophile) |
| gen. | get thin on top | лысеть (Anglophile) |
| gen. | getting thin on top | лысеющий (Anglophile) |
| Makarov. | hair wearing thin on top | волосы, редеющие на макушке |
| gen. | he is going a bit thin on top | у него уже есть небольшая плешинка |
| gen. | he is going a bit thin on top | у него уже есть небольшая плешинка |
| Makarov. | his hair is getting thin on top | у него волосы редеют на макушке |
| idiom. | support is thin on the ground | не иметь широкой поддержки (Apart from ANU academic Clive Hamilton, support for the plan to censor the Internet is thin on the ground. 4uzhoj) |
| tech. | thin on | подвижное масло |
| idiom., inf. | thin on the ground | туго (часто иронично • C грамотными инженерами нынче туго. 4uzhoj) |
| gen. | thin on the ground | мало (Our only problem is finding staff, because good programmers are really thin on the ground. • At this time of year, holidaymakers are thin on the ground.) |
| gen. | thin on the ground | практически редкость (Magazines about home improvement were very thin on the ground at the time – not like now. • Traditional bookshops are thin on the ground these days. • We are living in an era when good news is thin on the ground. • By the mid-1970s, managers and executives in the late 30s to late 40s age group were thin on the ground. 4uzhoj) |
| idiom., inf. | thin on the ground | не густо (Useful suggestions have been thin on the ground lately. Alexander Demidov) |
| idiom. | thin on the ground | кот наплакал (Magazines about home improvement were very thin on the ground at the time – not like now. Anglophile) |
| idiom. | thin on the ground | с гулькин нос (VLZ_58) |
| idiom. | thin on the ground | раз, два и обчёлся (Based on our local area, one skill which is in very high demand is British Sign Language – there is new legislation coming in for local authorities to provide this for interpretation, and qualified folk are thin on the ground. Anglophile) |
| idiom., inf. | thin on the ground | плохо (с чем-либо; в знач. "чего-либо мало" • Hard evidence is thin on the ground, and what there is, is not encouraging. 4uzhoj) |
| idiom. | thin on the ground | днем с огнём не сыщешь (4uzhoj) |
| gen. | thin on the ground | немногочисленный (Liv Bliss) |
| idiom. | thin on the top | облысеть (Dad's gone a bit thin on the top in the last few years. Отец немного облысел за последние несколько лет. Interex) |