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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of ritual
Maddalena Fossati, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
And smell can lead to better understanding of medicine, rituals, and daily lives in general from thousands of years ago.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Organizational psychologists and anthropologists have long studied the importance of symbols and ritual in culture and the workplace.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ritual
Noun
The treatment rooms are large, with private bathrooms, and feature body rituals performed with essential oils, lavender and sweet orange, and an Ayurvedic soundtrack of Indian chanting capable of transporting you to another dimension like a mantra of pure well-being.
—Maddalena Fossati, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
And smell can lead to better understanding of medicine, rituals, and daily lives in general from thousands of years ago.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Collapsing art, science, paranormal phenomena, and ritual, SORRAT expands Neihardt’s search for visionary truth via poetry and experimentation.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Organizational psychologists and anthropologists have long studied the importance of symbols and ritual in culture and the workplace.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ritual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ritual
Noun
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For people managing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, that combination can push eating habits in the wrong direction.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Runners, instead, should avoid habits like taking them before a race or a hard workout.—
Dan England,
Outside,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Ukrainian athletes marched into San Siro Stadium — where athletes competing in ice sports participated in the opening ceremony — to loud cheers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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The bus was headed to the village of the groom after the wedding ceremony, but the groom and bride were in a different vehicle and survived.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The blues and greens of the Seahawks’ logo don’t match either species, with some saying the art instead nods to the brightly colored ceremonial masks of Seattle’s Indigenous communities.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
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At the Milan Cortina Games, Mongolian athletes will wear cashmere ceremonial deels — traditional tunics or robes — with silk trimmings to honor the past and present.—
Stefanie Dazio,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Interestingly, the characters on the coin are Chinese, even though it was produced in Japan during the mid-19th century — a common practice at the time.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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On this day, as the NHL chartered most of its Olympians to Milan and teams stepped into a rink draped in Olympic logos for practice, the dream became real.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Three Palestinians were laid to rest in traditional Islamic funeral rites.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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By the power vested in him, Pritz conducted the rites inside the Egyptian.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Epiphany celebrates the appearance of the Magi (Wise Men) to the newborn Jesus and marks the end of the liturgical season of Christmas.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
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Ash Wednesday is the first day of the liturgical season of Lent, which falls 6½ weeks before Easter each year.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Insights into Alzheimer’s Interestingly, the molecular tricks spiders use to spin their webs are similar to the sophisticated signaling processes found in human neurotransmitter and hormone receptors.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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One easy trick can turn those misshapen lumps with scraggly edges into gorgeous, bakery-worthy treats.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Much like the Christian and Catholic observances of the Lent season leading up to Easter, Ramadan’s date on the Gregorian calendar changes each year, since it’s based on the lunar calendar.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
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Each year, the organization that launched the observance announces a national theme.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ritual. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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