as in masses
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
locals complained that rental housing would attract the ragtag and bobtail to their well-groomed suburb
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ragtag and bobtail
Noun
-
Against all expectations, the judges spared Henry, and Badinter’s arguments gained traction with the French public.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026 -
When the world is topsy-turvy, the theatergoing public seeks explanations.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The seeming absoluteness of scientific thinking may predispose many medical practitioners or public health workers to assume the populace trust them, that evidential claims naturally validate interventions — no further Q&A needed.—
Cory Anderson,
STAT,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All that loot pumped out of the Armenian proletariat, says the gaur, and for what.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Severin, on the other hand, represents the revolutionary proletariat.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a rabble-rousing politician with grievances galore.—
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Tanner spoke in a blend of political rabble-rousing and entrepreneurial uplift.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Kansas City uses this money to pay for basic city services, like fire fighting, snow plowing and trash collecting.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Officials remind the public to report aggressive wildlife immediately, always supervise children outdoors, keep pets on a leash and close by and avoid leaving food or trash accessible.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Huskies and Gamecocks played last season for the title, and UConn came away with an 82-59 rout for the school’s 12th national championship.—
Doug Feinberg,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Francisco Alvarez homered twice and rookie Nolan McLean retired his first 15 batters as the New York Mets snapped a three-game skid Friday night with a 10-3 rout of the San Francisco Giants.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Our editors tested over a dozen shower cleaners to find the ones that are most effective at removing soap scum and water stains.—
Josh Feldman,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Drain and Plumbing Buildup Shower and sink drains accumulate bacteria from hair, soap scum, and organic debris that build up and can produce foul odors if not cleaned often.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Which is to say, the people in the streets weren’t riffraff running amok but activists with aims.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Sometimes Evie imagined the land, the world, the city around her as a cartoon neighborhood, the houses’ edges elastic like balloons, their walls filling up and bloating and then, all at once, popping: ejecting out the riffraff and trash in a huff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ragtag and bobtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ragtag%20and%20bobtail. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
