1
as in newspaper
a publication that appears at regular intervals
the local rag publishes more gossip than news
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2
as in clothing
rags plural
covering for the human body
the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags
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as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford
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as in to scold
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rag
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
Revealed by Deadline several months back, The Lady charts the rise and fall of former royal dresser Andrews, whose rags to riches fairytale fell apart when she was convicted of murder.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2025
By then, her voice had worn ragged — lower in pitch, rougher in tone, better suited for more sophisticated songs.
—Robert Levine, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Noun
Avoid letting the polluted outside air in by placing damp rags at the bottoms of doors or windows.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
Revealed by Deadline several months back, The Lady charts the rise and fall of former royal dresser Andrews, whose rags to riches fairytale fell apart when she was convicted of murder.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
Photos provided by Niğde representatives show the mummy with its arms crossed and placed on a bed of sheets and ragged cardboard.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2025
By then, her voice had worn ragged — lower in pitch, rougher in tone, better suited for more sophisticated songs.
—Robert Levine, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rag
Verb
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That, in the end, is the heart of the spectacle of Noem’s militaristic videos and Leavitt’s scolding and lies.—
Constance Grady,
Vox,
25 Apr. 2025
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Today's top stories President Trump scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday after Russia launched a deadly strike on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Conor Heffernan, who lectures on the history of sports and fitness at Ulster University, in Ireland, said the current vogue for biohacking, and its protein boosterism, reeks of snake oil.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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Her quotidian life was lecturing at a college in Aberdeen, close to where she was born, and the travel and mountaineering a teacher’s schedule enables.—
Sadie Stein,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And when no one was fired or even reprimanded for the FUBAR, the accountability Hegseth promised had seemingly gone AWOL.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
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Rourke was formally reprimanded by the show and ultimately booted from the house.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And even in his case, Hunt has done his best work at guard and didn’t become the solution at tackle that some envisioned (for reasons for which he shouldn’t be blamed).—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2025
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Californians can blame the commissioner’s good intentions.—
Max Taves,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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She was criticized by some for her expensive timepiece and for using prisoners as production props.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Carey criticized laissez-faire economics for degrading the British working class.—
Made by History,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rag. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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