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
Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
In a video posted last week, Cooper’s camera caught the swish of rags and the hum of voices as a few of her family members and friends worked to get the shop ready for its grand opening.
—Evan Moore
august 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
By the time the credits rolled my heart was ragged.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Noun
Michael is a rag twisted hard and thrown into a chair, like something out of Dostoyevsky.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
In a video posted last week, Cooper’s camera caught the swish of rags and the hum of voices as a few of her family members and friends worked to get the shop ready for its grand opening.
—Evan Moore
august 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
This ragged archive amounts to a record of my thinking, or at least those bits that, for a moment, seemed worth saving.
—Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
By the time the credits rolled my heart was ragged.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rag
Verb
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In Part 2, viewers see Morticia scold her children for lying to her, yet Morticia is keeping secrets from Wednesday about her past and family.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Family matriarch Donna Adelson was scolded by a judge Thursday for weeping in the courtroom after being convicted of orchestrating a 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her former son-in-law, a prominent Florida State University law professor.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In between all the jokes, the film stops more than once to basically lecture on this sad state of affairs, an admirable Sturges-like approach that gets laid on thick, perhaps too thick to merge successfully with the largely comedic rhythm Ansari has established so well.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
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Coach Eli Drinkwitz brought in guest speakers (including Hill) to lecture players on the rivalry.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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San Juan Unified School District Trustee Nick Bloise was formally reprimanded by the board in relation to his behavior during a school site visit.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Geier, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has also been reprimanded by the Maryland Board of Physicians for practicing medicine without a medical license.—
Sarah Owermohle,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Of course, nobody enjoys feeling blamed or accused, so the instinct to deflect may feel right.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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The 2024 first-round pick blamed the weather, not nerves or feeling too amped up, on an inaccurate pass targeting DeMario Douglas to open the game.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Six separate receivers have caught touchdown passes already this season, a stark difference from a season ago when Green was criticized for being too reliant on a small number of playmakers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
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Like Kennedy, Anderson was criticized over the eight-minute tape, which was meant for private consumption and created by consenting spouses.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rag. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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