grab bag

noun

1

: a receptacle (such as a bag) containing small articles which are to be drawn (as at a party or fair) without being seen

2

: a miscellaneous collection : potpourri

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of grab bag in a Sentence

Congress has proposed a grab bag of tax cuts.

the festival featured a grab bag of independent films from widely disparate genres

Recent Examples on the Web

Becoming a mother now means confronting a grab bag of voices — on phone screens and on Reddit, but also at school pickup and church — that are critical of the medical establishment, including people skeptical about vaccines and fanatic about drinking raw milk. —Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 1 June 2025

There are several methods for quantifying homelessness in San Diego County, encompassing a grab bag of methodologies that can be confusing for anyone not immersed in the crisis. —Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025

Modern college chaplains, deans, and directors of religious life have taken on a new grab bag of duties. —Cornelia Powers, The Atlantic, 18 May 2025

Her business will be doing a grab bag with any purchase on Vintage Store Day. —Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grab bag

• airbag
• handbag
• ragtag
• sandbag
• ag
• brag
• dag
• drag
• flag
• gag
• hag
• hagg