1
as in habit
a usual manner of behaving or doing
her morning ritual is to enjoy a bracing cup of coffee while reading the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ceremony
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
a ritual that the ancient peoples of that country believed would bring rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in ceremonial
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ritual
Jack Byram, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
The yearly harvest is a historic ritual, deeply rooted in culture and tradition.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Over time, as the original practice gets diluted, ritual takes over as a memory device.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ritual
Noun
Hario’s Mini-Slim+ Ceramic Coffee Mill is the perfect hand grinder for a morning ritual or for traveling.
—Jack Byram, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
The yearly harvest is a historic ritual, deeply rooted in culture and tradition.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Over time, as the original practice gets diluted, ritual takes over as a memory device.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ritual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ritual
Noun
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But the reality for him, fairly or unfairly, is that if some of the habits persist, the smoke may turn to fire as the season progresses.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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In November 2024, PEOPLE spoke with Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Telegraph, about the princess's habit, which may raise eyebrows with critics.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping attended the commissioning ceremony for the Fujian at a military port in Sanya on Hainan island earlier this week, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Alex Morgan speaks during the ceremony to retire her Number 13 jersey following NWSL match between San Diego Wave and Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium on September 07, 2025 in San Diego, California.—
Jessica Golden,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The outward-facing push is also ceremonial.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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During his speech, Suarez gave him a ceremonial gold key for the project.—
Seung Min Kim,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But the nation's approximately 232 million people are split near evenly between Muslims and Christians, with smaller percentages following other practices, including indigenous beliefs.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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This practice had its own history, another tributary to the overshoot conjuncture that weighed heavily on its future course.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Bigelow has often been accused of being apolitical—or, because of her fascination with the codes, rites, and aesthetics of men at war, of advancing a gung-ho fetishization of American militarism.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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According to the Ceremonial of Bishops, such rites – often a Mass or a Liturgy of the Word – should take place as soon as possible following a desecration.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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During his tenure, Nelson introduced a series of organizational and liturgical changes intended to emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ in church practice and to streamline local worship.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
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The work, which King has described as a meditation on love, resilience and inner-strength, is set to Black spirituals and Jewish liturgical music, features vocals by the great singer Lisa Fischer and a score by piano great Jason Moran, artists with whom the collab-happy King has worked before.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Dom tried his usual tricks, such as leaving the match to get counted out, but Cena stopped him and brought him back to the ring.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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And the action ranges from dueling card tricks to the kind of honest-to-God fights that merely serve to remind us that balletic action films really are magic tricks.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Some businesses and other services in the commonwealth will be closed in observance of the federal holiday.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
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All branches of Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles are closed Tuesday in observance of Veterans Day.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ritual. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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