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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rags
John Hopewell, Variety, 15 May 2026
Like so many historical myths, this swashbuckling tale of pirates, court accusations, and gossip, which frames the rags-to-riches emergence of this American family, is rife with historical fiction.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Two decades later, Shuter is using his Substack, Naughty but Nice, to capitalize on the eternal appetite for the sort of outrageously lowbrow material once only found in the pages of gossip rags like the Enquirer.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Like many rags-to-riches stories, the quintet’s rise to fame seemed fated.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 4 May 2026
Released in 2006, the first The Devil Wears Prada was a rags-to-riches story of a young woman (Hathaway) who headed for the big city to be a serious journalist, only to become the assistant of a ruthless and legendary editor (Streep).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Even damp rags and sponges can be a source of food for these flies.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Soak rags in vinegar and place them around the garden.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Through the years, the NFL has been a boon for the rags-to-riches tale.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Born in a Rio de Janeiro favela, few soccer players symbolize better the rags to riches from pitches underdog story.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 15 May 2026
Like so many historical myths, this swashbuckling tale of pirates, court accusations, and gossip, which frames the rags-to-riches emergence of this American family, is rife with historical fiction.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Two decades later, Shuter is using his Substack, Naughty but Nice, to capitalize on the eternal appetite for the sort of outrageously lowbrow material once only found in the pages of gossip rags like the Enquirer.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Like many rags-to-riches stories, the quintet’s rise to fame seemed fated.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 4 May 2026
Released in 2006, the first The Devil Wears Prada was a rags-to-riches story of a young woman (Hathaway) who headed for the big city to be a serious journalist, only to become the assistant of a ruthless and legendary editor (Streep).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Even damp rags and sponges can be a source of food for these flies.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Soak rags in vinegar and place them around the garden.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Through the years, the NFL has been a boon for the rags-to-riches tale.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Verb
-
Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Denise and Mohamed bought new clothing for the other children, whereas Djena was given ratty hand-me-downs—even her bras were Denise’s castoffs.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
How The Partnership Came About Kelce, who even founded his own clothing company, is a longtime fan of fashion.—
Jeff Fedotin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 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
-
Hadid previously worked with stylist Law Roach for her 2022 Cannes appearance, collaborating on looks that catered more toward archival attire.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
That's elite golf content in the attire of her choosing.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The singer Sam Smith, in a black cape dress, stood still as an aide held a portable fan up to their head, which supported a large black feather.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
People are mostly casual in shorts, sandals, vests, and tees at breakfast, but are more done-up at night in dresses, shirts, and trousers for 1818, the rooftop bar.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
