1
as in beds
a place set aside for sleeping
the clock struck midnight, signaling that it was time to hit the rack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
suffering the rack of a sprained ankle, the climber had to make his way back down the mountain to camp felt the rack of regret after losing her temper with her teenagers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in plagues
to cause persistent suffering to
the young man was racked with guilt over the lie he had told to his parents the country has been racked by years of civil war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pulls
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
she racked her brain trying to remember where she'd put the money the sails of the boat were racked by the storm's winds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of racks
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Some cities install physical barriers like planters, bike racks, or other obstacles, to ensure compliance.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Sturdy metal racks can sit in the cellar and keep wine in a cool, dark room for years.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Several areas were in need of cleaning and regular maintenance, including the fan guards inside the bakery walk-in cooler, metal racks inside the main kitchen walk-in cooler and the sliding tracks of the cake display refrigerator.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Monday marked the first day of the academic year, with social media posts showing children in green uniforms smiling, greeting one another at bike racks, and posing for photos.
—Hannah Parry
hollie Silverman
gabe Whisnant
anna Commander
sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Sharp-eyed New Yorkers may also notice the spread of what look like steel benches or bike racks at first glance, but are primarily subway grates raised inches higher than the standard sidewalk level.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Let cool on wire racks 10 minutes.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
Under the storage racks with clean dishes and mango chutney, there were 27 rodent droppings.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Some cities install physical barriers like planters, bike racks, or other obstacles, to ensure compliance.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Sturdy metal racks can sit in the cellar and keep wine in a cool, dark room for years.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Several areas were in need of cleaning and regular maintenance, including the fan guards inside the bakery walk-in cooler, metal racks inside the main kitchen walk-in cooler and the sliding tracks of the cake display refrigerator.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Monday marked the first day of the academic year, with social media posts showing children in green uniforms smiling, greeting one another at bike racks, and posing for photos.
—Hannah Parry
hollie Silverman
gabe Whisnant
anna Commander
sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Sharp-eyed New Yorkers may also notice the spread of what look like steel benches or bike racks at first glance, but are primarily subway grates raised inches higher than the standard sidewalk level.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Let cool on wire racks 10 minutes.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racks
Noun
-
But late summer and fall offer an opportunity to better regulate the moisture level in garden beds and containers.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Wallpaper is one of the most low-lift ways to make a room feel instantly cozy, like something out of a fictional bed-and-breakfast inn with four-poster beds.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
To investors, such progress offers ample reasons to overlook short-term pains like the company’s dip in profitability, says Wang.—
Yue Wang,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
The editorial takes pains to quote the school board, the board president and the Illinois Policy Institute, a right-wing and anti-labor organization, without any quotes from the association or its president.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
-
This temporary fix does nothing to resolve the chronic underfunding and instability that plagues these programs year after year.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Early’s script pulls from TV movies like Kate’s Secret and Perfect Body, while also referencing classic cinema like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The Farktop Trench Coat is a true fall staple that instantly pulls an outfit together and makes even sweats look polished.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The large lobby-level bar is dotted with couches and an open fireplace.—
Heather Richardson,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The delegations held talks on board, sitting on two rows of pink couches, photos showed.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily, and most severely, afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Although there have been recent breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, no medication has succeeded in stopping or reversing the disease that afflicts more than 7 million Americans, a number projected to reach almost 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rather than taking the newcomers in, Friedrich leads them to some distant caves and trusts that the miseries of island life—extreme heat, torrential rains, pesky insects, vicious dogs—will soon send them packing.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Aug. 2025
-
The reductive, conventional wisdom in the party held that nonwhite voters, especially Hispanic Americans, would be the key to a new Democratic national majority after the party’s miseries in the post-9/11 world.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racks. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share