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
Rabekah Henderson, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
Linens, rags, and even paper towels are made of fibers that are too soft and loose.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
But once the suggestion was made, Vic, Bernie, and Don hurriedly made two of them by fastening rags around the end of poles, soaking them with gas, and lighting them.
—Doris Decleene, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
However, they are also drawn to things such as drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash bags, cleaning rags and mops.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Stuff towels or rags in the cracks under doors.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Monica doubts this highbrow Brit is capable of understanding Reggie’s rags-to-riches-to-infamy tale.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Cleaning Rags Most thrift stores have a section dedicated to linens and fabrics, which Traxler likes to cut and use as cleaning rags.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 17 Feb. 2026
Bee Cave Bob arrived in a crate lined with shirts and rags.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
Instead, old towels can be repurposed in a number of ways around the home, from cleaning rags to even makeup pads.
—Rabekah Henderson, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
Linens, rags, and even paper towels are made of fibers that are too soft and loose.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
But once the suggestion was made, Vic, Bernie, and Don hurriedly made two of them by fastening rags around the end of poles, soaking them with gas, and lighting them.
—Doris Decleene, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
However, they are also drawn to things such as drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash bags, cleaning rags and mops.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Stuff towels or rags in the cracks under doors.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Monica doubts this highbrow Brit is capable of understanding Reggie’s rags-to-riches-to-infamy tale.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Cleaning Rags Most thrift stores have a section dedicated to linens and fabrics, which Traxler likes to cut and use as cleaning rags.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 17 Feb. 2026
Bee Cave Bob arrived in a crate lined with shirts and rags.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Verb
-
While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Kordia had come to the US first on a tourist visa and then transitioned to a student visa, studying English while working as a waitress and at a clothing store and helping care for her US citizen mother and brother, her attorneys said.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Similar items, such as cosmetics and general gender-specific clothing, however, are still available for purchase on the commissary shopping list.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.—
Simon Maghakyan,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Luckily for me, the Brentwood class wasn’t too packed, so there weren’t too many fellow exercisers there to gawk at my unorthodox choice of attire.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Minibee Women’s Cotton Linen Blouse Cruise attire can be all over the place, so versatile clothing is key.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Manuel then slipped into a stark white dress overflowing with ruffles and shrugged on a matching lace shawl with long fringing over it—all key elements to bringing his hypnotizing moves to life.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Dots, a brand hallmark, are another recurring motif, both thanks to holes knit into chunky sweaters and paillettes stitched onto delicate, straight-as-an-arrow slip dresses.—
Nicole Phelps,
Vogue,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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