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ragtag was our Word of the Day on 02/11/2017. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of ragtag in a Sentence
a ragtag group of musicians
the team was a ragtag bunch who had only one thing in common: a lack of skill
Recent Examples of ragtag from the Web
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Anderson’s interest lies primarily with the ragtag alpha-dog pack whose leader is Chief, voiced by Bryan Cranston, and who romances the deadpan show dog, Nutmeg, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
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In just his first year, 45 and his ragtag crew of incompetents have racked up more truly cinematic plot twists, jump-scares, and inadvertent punchlines than most of their predecessors combined.
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This raucous band of outsiders are inspired by traditional Baltic brass bands, and perform in a ragtag wardrobe of handmade costumes.
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His presidential campaign was a ragtag operation largely staffed by inexperienced family members and second-tier consultants.
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Does this ragtag band of misfits, coached by a renegade named Goona (Maisie Williams), stand a chance against a bunch of hot shots with flowing locks, fancy uniforms, and all the talent and training that Nooth’s lucre can buy?
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That year, a ragtag team of amateur hockey players won gold against the Soviet Union’s Red Army team, the gold medal favorite that was then considered the best hockey team in the world.
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To continue reading this story, TRY IT NOW A war pitting a ragtag band of misfits and its ageless hero against an overwhelming army led by a boyish prince fighting for his own future.
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The Eagles flank out around Naval Academy signee Jaylen Walker and also count Jaylon Scott and Isaiah Stevens (offered by University of Albany) among their ragtag band of happy warriors.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ragtag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Breaking Down ragtag
Tag and rag was a relatively common expression in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it was often used pejoratively to refer to members of the lower classes of society. By the 18th century, the phrase had been expanded to "rag, tag and bobtail." That expression could mean either "the lower classes" or "the entire lot of something" (as opposed to just the more desirable parts - the entire unit of an army, for example, not just its more capable soldiers). Something described as "ragtag and bobtail," then, was usually common and unspectacular. "Ragtag and bobtail" was eventually shortened to "ragtag," the adjective we know today, which can describe an odd mixture that is often hastily assembled or second-rate.
Origin and Etymology of ragtag
ragtag Synonyms
Synonyms
assorted, eclectic, heterogeneous, indiscriminate, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, patchwork, promiscuous, raggle-taggle, varied;
Antonyms
Near Antonyms
Related Words
disparate, divergent, diverse, sundry, various;
amalgamated, blended, combined, commingled, commixed, conglomerated, fused, incorporated, intermingled, intermixed, merged, mingled;
RAGTAG Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of ragtag for English Language Learners
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: made up of different people or things and not organized or put together well
RAGTAG Defined for Kids
Definition of ragtag for Students
: not well organized or put together
The ragtag team somehow won the game.
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