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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rag
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 25 July 2025
Soliman allegedly entered the park carrying a backpack with 18 glass bottles and jars, as well as flammable liquid and red rags, and approached the group, according to the Justice Department.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 15 July 2025
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
For most of his first 10 songs, Costello’s singing was ragged and hoarse.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Noun
Go over everything with a clean rag dipped in your soapy solution, wiping every surface.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 25 July 2025
Soliman allegedly entered the park carrying a backpack with 18 glass bottles and jars, as well as flammable liquid and red rags, and approached the group, according to the Justice Department.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 15 July 2025
Verb
Dave and his friends spend their summer days hanging out at the limestone quarry, ragging on each other, cliff-jumping into the water, wondering what sort of lives await them.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
For most of his first 10 songs, Costello’s singing was ragged and hoarse.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rag
Verb
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Some have also scolded Colossal for tinkering with genetics, but the tech firm insists its work will aid in the conservation and protection of endangered species.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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With the camel’s back broken, Dorothy Scott, summoning all her righteous indignation (and channeled with maybe one-third of Audra McDonald’s extraordinary talent, which is still enough to power the city of Manhattan), lets the snobby scold have it.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Two hours later, she was heard lecturing the children.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
16 July 2025
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The single most on-the-nose sequence — though there are many — has an unrestrained Christopher Lloyd as a Holocaust survivor conveniently situated to lecture young Clay about the genocidal reality of his experience.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Verb
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If the committee finds the charges to be malicious, the accusers may also be reprimanded, suspended, removed from office or expelled.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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In October, Redstone publicly criticized McMahon's decision to reprimand CBS News morning anchor Tony Dokoupil over an interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Some residents blamed the city, which has owned these buildings for years, for allowing the structures to get run-down.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
9 Aug. 2025
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At one point, her crankiness about being underappreciated for her domestic efforts is blamed, without irony, on her period.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump amps up his attacks on CEOs and other executives Trump has long used social media and his other public statements to cajole, criticize and praise companies and individual CEOs.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
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Some social media users have criticized the department’s reverence for the 1940s, noting the period predated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which outlawed segregation, as well as other landmark legislation and Supreme Court decisions that were key to the civil rights era.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rag. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
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