1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

kerchiefs

noun

variants also kerchieves
plural of kerchief
1
as in handkerchiefs
a scarf worn on the head tied the kerchief around her head to keep her hair out of her face

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in towels
a small, often square piece of material that is used for personal hygiene purposes dabbed the sweat on his brow with a kerchief

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kerchiefs
  1. handkerchiefs
  2. towels
Noun
  • People’s handkerchiefs would come away from their foreheads stained with soot.
    — Daliah Singer, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Caught unprepared for chemical warfare and lacking standard-issue gas masks, Allied soldiers improvised by covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs or pieces of cloth drenched in water or urine.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of handkerchiefs
Noun
  • So are the flowers, the towels, the view, the thrill of being chosen.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Um, the system that ensures clean towels, sheets, and uniforms?
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of towels
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

kerchief
kerchiefs
kerf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kerchiefs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kerchiefs. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tactile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All