as in clothes
covering for the human body
the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in scolds
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rags
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
This is particularly true of cleaning rags, which should never be mixed with clothing due to their heavy soil levels.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2025
The result is a rags-to-riches story that includes a satisfying love story but is ultimately about the resilience of one woman.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
Michael Carroll’s son stiffened — a cold jolt running through him — when his shovel struck what looked like rags and bones in the basement on Halloween eve 2018.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025
Several rugs and rags were shown, each having also tested positive for blood.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Followed by a grainy, blurred photo of the two of them splashed across the front pages of newspapers and gossip rags, taken by a particularly stealthy member of the paparazzi.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
Its thick pages are made from rags.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 7 Dec. 2025
Giant follows the rise of Hamed and his relationship with Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, charting his rags-to-riches underdog tale from his humble beginnings in Sheffield to becoming champion of the world.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Microfiber cloths or cotton rags are good options.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
This is particularly true of cleaning rags, which should never be mixed with clothing due to their heavy soil levels.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2025
The result is a rags-to-riches story that includes a satisfying love story but is ultimately about the resilience of one woman.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
Michael Carroll’s son stiffened — a cold jolt running through him — when his shovel struck what looked like rags and bones in the basement on Halloween eve 2018.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025
Several rugs and rags were shown, each having also tested positive for blood.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Followed by a grainy, blurred photo of the two of them splashed across the front pages of newspapers and gossip rags, taken by a particularly stealthy member of the paparazzi.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
Its thick pages are made from rags.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 7 Dec. 2025
Giant follows the rise of Hamed and his relationship with Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, charting his rags-to-riches underdog tale from his humble beginnings in Sheffield to becoming champion of the world.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Verb
-
Or on Bluesky with the joke scolds, or on Mastodon with the Linux hackers, or on Threads with the voice-forward brands?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
-
The crew sets sail to the North Pole and Anderson scolds his crew to be more focused.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Vacuum Bags for Travel TikTok creators swear by vacuum-seal bags for squeezing more clothing into a carry-on.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Further, this development enhances the potential of renewable energy by unlocking perovskite’s ability to be printed onto flexible surfaces, such as curved windows, lightweight camping gear, and even clothing fabrics.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The same government that lectures Beijing about state capitalism and nonmarket behaviors now practices it at home.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
-
But Andres Bernal, a political analyst who lectures at the City University of New York, thinks many young voters look at Cuomo's history of controversy and are reminded of the Democratic Party establishment that has left them disillusioned.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The following day will have a welcome party, which can range from a casual get-together to a cocktail attire affair.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
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Claudia also weighed in on Nicola’s bridal attire for her April 2022 nuptials to Brooklyn.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Most of the other kids wore starched Gunne Sax dresses and pressed khaki pants, but Agatha Krishna donned white from head to toe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Cruz, wearing a Santa hat, shimmied behind a boogieing Victoria, 51, clad in a form-fitting grey dress.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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