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
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Stallone penned the script for this star-making vehicle, writing himself the role of a lifetime and launching one of cinema’s great rags-to-riches stories.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
This is not just another rags-to-riches story of a Black rapper on the rise.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 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
Soak rags in vinegar and place them around the garden.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
The same can be said for cotton cloths and rags.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Stallone penned the script for this star-making vehicle, writing himself the role of a lifetime and launching one of cinema’s great rags-to-riches stories.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
This is not just another rags-to-riches story of a Black rapper on the rise.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 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
Soak rags in vinegar and place them around the garden.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Noun
-
Staying out of the grass where a tick can latch onto your clothing.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
Jokes aside, every four years the World Cup offers participating countries an extremely high-profile opportunity to express themselves through clothing design.—
Ashley Fetters Maloy,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Her accessories were kept minimal and echoed the polished nature of her attire.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
16 June 2026
-
An unspoken expectation to look like counterparts in their 20s and 30s demands a massive investment in expensive med spas, cosmetics to cover gray roots, and professional attire and dry cleaning that cost more today than ever before.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Today’s successful downtowns rely on a mix of ingredients, said Steven Falk, the former city manager of Lafayette, who’s served as an interim city executive in Oakland and Richmond and who lectures at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
-
Bad teams are given mechanisms to recover, not lectures about bootstraps.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Some products highlighted by the DA's office included a lace dress selling for $6,490, a suitcoat for $4,950, and a slip skirt for $1,090.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Em Maxi dress + bandeau, $545 $382.—
Aemilia Madden,
Vogue,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
