as in clothes
covering for the human body
the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rags
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Skeleton drills with rags hanging from their shorts.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Be better than the sensationalist rags that are sold in the supermarket checkout lane.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Damp rags on the prep counters had no detectable sanitizer.
—Sacbee.com, 20 Mar. 2026
This is a Horatio Alger-style rags-to-riches, hooray-for-capitalism parable for a generation that has no idea who Horatio Alger was.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Pro Tip Hill suggests using paper towels for cleaning up grease instead of cloth rags.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Sponges and rags come into contact with nearly every surface, Navarro adds, and are rarely sanitized properly in between uses.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026
The paramedics had removed one of the bullets from Martinez’s arm, leaving it behind, along with bloody rags.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
Another common mistake is using paper towels or regular rags, which can leave lint behind.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Skeleton drills with rags hanging from their shorts.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Be better than the sensationalist rags that are sold in the supermarket checkout lane.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Damp rags on the prep counters had no detectable sanitizer.
—Sacbee.com, 20 Mar. 2026
This is a Horatio Alger-style rags-to-riches, hooray-for-capitalism parable for a generation that has no idea who Horatio Alger was.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Pro Tip Hill suggests using paper towels for cleaning up grease instead of cloth rags.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Sponges and rags come into contact with nearly every surface, Navarro adds, and are rarely sanitized properly in between uses.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026
The paramedics had removed one of the bullets from Martinez’s arm, leaving it behind, along with bloody rags.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Verb
-
This cross-partisan skit is refreshing and the only people who might hate it are Cuomo supporters and maybe some woke scolds.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These are some of the examples of the feedback a new crop of artificial intelligence apps might give a prospective customer trying on clothing ahead of a purchase, and in the process, reduce the chances of a product being returned to a store.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
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Police recently clarified she was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, light blue jeans and white sneakers with a black stripe, updating an earlier description of different clothing.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Soon, Gonzales asked about her bedroom attire in a series of texts in which the two talked about an in-person meeting at the campaign aide's home.—
Bayliss Wagner,
San Antonio Express-News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Daniel Craig is spotted in business attire on set in Athens, Greece on April 2 for his upcoming Damien Chazelle movie.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Another version used the bubble-wand photo to give Graham a pink Cinderella-style dress and a set of Mini Mouse ears, complete with perky red bow.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
According to data collected in 2025 by luxury watch resale marketplace Chrono24, Gen Z buy more classic dress watches than any other age demographic.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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