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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rag
Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
Perhaps even a rag-tag group of remainders can put a scare into San Antonio.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 8 Mar. 2026
First, use a brush or rag to remove all loose soil particles from tools and pots.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rag
Noun
Use a rag to clean; do not soak your baskets.
—Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
Perhaps even a rag-tag group of remainders can put a scare into San Antonio.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Verb
Each leaves different clues like slime trails, ragged edges, or missing buds.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 8 Mar. 2026
First, use a brush or rag to remove all loose soil particles from tools and pots.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rag
Noun
-
The university's newspaper The Daily Nexus reported that campus crime rates have been on the rise since 2022 — with more reports of rape, dating violence and stalking.—
Bethany Brown,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
In February, a local newspaper, the Big Bend Sentinel, reported that construction was imminent.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Apply insect repellant containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 to bare skin and clothing.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2026
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Additionally, Amazon has its own line of fashion brands, including Amazon Essentials, which target budget-conscious shoppers looking for functional clothing staples like shirts, pants, and shoes.—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Noun
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But the prank could come with legal consequences.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
-
Students entered Christ The King Catholic High School after hours on April 22 to stage a senior prank.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
The victim said he was singled out for laughing, scolded, and told to continue reading before being ordered into the hallway.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Noun
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The gala’s funds support acquisitions of garments and accessories, but also the institute’s reference library, which holds over 800 periodicals and 1,500 designer files pertaining to the history of fashion and clothing, dating back to the sixteenth century.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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In Near, the Court considered the constitutionality of a Minnesota public nuisance statute that allowed authorities to shut down scandalous and defamatory periodicals.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Many of his later programs have been capped by a coda in which the tricks of the trade are laid bare—no trick being more vital than that of extreme patience, with camera operators waiting days, or even weeks, for the right cub, or pup, or fledgling, or froglet, to show up.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
There is not a whole lot to chuckle about these days, and her column does the trick for me every week.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Proctor bragged about properly hydrating himself before practice, which is something past and present Dolphins coaches and trainers annually lecture the newcomers about to avoid dehydration, and the use of intravenous fluids.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
10 May 2026
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For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Now, in the journal Nature Neuroscience, a team describes a solution that decodes a person's brain waves to choose which voice their hearing system will amplify.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
14 May 2026
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In a study published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature, Chinese geneticist Fu Qiaomei and her colleagues successfully extracted and analyzed ancient enamel proteins from the teeth unearthed at three sites in China.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rag. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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