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
Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Some tanks turn into rags after a few washes, but Quince's cotton modal top is a workhorse that holds up to endless wear and tear.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
Men dressed in laborers’ rags responded with a triple roar for His Majesty.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
In any case, her rags-to-riches tale caught the imagination of people around the world.
—Dan Kelly
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Launder with your household’s other cleaning rags and microfiber cloths.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
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
Noun
Turn Them Into Cleaning Rags One of the easiest ways to reuse old T-shirts is by cutting them up and turning them into cleaning rags.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Some tanks turn into rags after a few washes, but Quince's cotton modal top is a workhorse that holds up to endless wear and tear.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
Men dressed in laborers’ rags responded with a triple roar for His Majesty.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
In any case, her rags-to-riches tale caught the imagination of people around the world.
—Dan Kelly
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Launder with your household’s other cleaning rags and microfiber cloths.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
Noun
-
The best Prime Day clothing deals tend to change day by day, so check back in over the course of the event to shop all the newest and most exciting markdowns.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
23 June 2026
-
Of course, those who’ve shopped the sale before know that many of the best Amazon Prime Day deals aren’t in the clothing department at all.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
Someone else scolds the offender.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The model’s attire was crafted with a delicate lace material and two unique botanical motifs.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
23 June 2026
-
The pair can be seen dressed in black, elegant attire with bright smiles on their faces.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
22 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 25 Jun. 2026.
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