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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rags
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Another common mistake is using paper towels or regular rags, which can leave lint behind.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Skeleton drills with rags hanging from their shorts.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Be better than the sensationalist rags that are sold in the supermarket checkout lane.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Damp rags on the prep counters had no detectable sanitizer.
—Sacbee.com, 20 Mar. 2026
This is a Horatio Alger-style rags-to-riches, hooray-for-capitalism parable for a generation that has no idea who Horatio Alger was.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Pro Tip Hill suggests using paper towels for cleaning up grease instead of cloth rags.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Sponges and rags come into contact with nearly every surface, Navarro adds, and are rarely sanitized properly in between uses.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
That collaboration continued on the sketch series SCTV and in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, and culminated with her Emmy-winning portrayal of riches-to-rags matriarch Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Another common mistake is using paper towels or regular rags, which can leave lint behind.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Skeleton drills with rags hanging from their shorts.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Be better than the sensationalist rags that are sold in the supermarket checkout lane.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Damp rags on the prep counters had no detectable sanitizer.
—Sacbee.com, 20 Mar. 2026
This is a Horatio Alger-style rags-to-riches, hooray-for-capitalism parable for a generation that has no idea who Horatio Alger was.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Pro Tip Hill suggests using paper towels for cleaning up grease instead of cloth rags.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Sponges and rags come into contact with nearly every surface, Navarro adds, and are rarely sanitized properly in between uses.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Verb
-
This cross-partisan skit is refreshing and the only people who might hate it are Cuomo supporters and maybe some woke scolds.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Joshua Jackson celebrates the Banana Republic and The Explorers Club partnership at the clothing brand's flagship store in New York City on April 16.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Carry a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blanket and additional warm clothing, drinking water, and high-calorie non-perishable food.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When not writing, May frequently lectures on the politics and policies of mass incarceration for university classes, academic conferences, and online events.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
-
With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For Grylls, however, the attire is a uniform for a job that bridges the gap between A-list glamour and rugged human experience.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Out to Brunch A mid-day event that requires slightly dressier attire can sometimes stump me, but wearing this jacket, shorts, and heeled sandals has proven to be an ideal combination for comfort and style.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The high-wattage crowd, dressed in luxe silk dresses and luminous pinstripe suits for the high-fashion event, included the likes of Martha Stewart, Allison Williams, Oscar Isaac, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson — a mix of longtime admirers, friends and newer fans of the luxury fashion brand.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Framed on a wall at the Victoria & Albert Museum next to the famous skeleton dress itself, made in 1938, the offhand note offers striking insight into the fashion designer’s place at the center of a dynamic, radical web of artists and designers in Paris in the 1930s.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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