as in applause
enthusiastic and usually public expression of approval
the books have received even more raves from parents than from the kids they were written for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in gushes
to make an exaggerated display of affection or enthusiasm
she raved about the Mother's Day breakfast of cold coffee and burnt toast that her young children had proudly set before her
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in huffs
to talk loudly and wildly
a man stood outside city hall raving like a lunatic about his tax bill
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 raves
New York Times, 1 June 2026
In early April, Amy Coon updated her Facebook page photo to raves from friends.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
While star Inde Navarrette is earning raves for her performance and becoming a meme queen for playing the world’s most devoted girlfriend.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
More than 1 million square feet of space will be used for exhibits, events, gaming, panels, cosplay showcases, movie screenings, raves and afterparties.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The poisson cru à la Tahitienne—a local take on ceviche made with tuna, lime, and coconut milk—wins raves at lunch time, as does the burger.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Her success brought both raves and snark, but a thing that could boldly be said of her whole deal was that it was aligned with counterculture even as it was subsumed by the mainstream.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 9 May 2026
This creamy, whole-grain salad earned raves from the experts in our test kitchen.
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 5 May 2026
This salad earned raves from our recipe testers, with a few calling it their favorite of the day.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2026
Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Surprising melodic choices ride a chameleonic song structure that stutters and shrieks, bounces and raves with a fresh mix of Big Beat, UKG, breakbeats, and electro-pop sounds.
—Kat Bein, SPIN, 21 May 2026
Contributor Gaby Ulloa has the medium-firm Helix Midnight Luxe at home, and raves about the lack of motion transfer and overall support.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 21 May 2026
For the look, Lexi Westergard of Lexi Westergard Design raves about Rojo Marron by Sherwin-Williams.
—Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 15 May 2026
Leipold raves about Amachree’s work ethic and ability to pick up KU’s playbook.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
The team raves about the hotel’s water pressure, and the waterfall shower lives up to the hype.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
Bove’s pick is Otivm Roof Bar overlooking Capitoline Hill, while Ojile raves about Terrazza Flores, the seasonal rooftop bar of El Porteño, a chic Argentinian restaurant.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Benji was also Osuna’s manager in winter ball and raves about him.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
Early on, most of these creators were influencers with large followings who would post raves about a product or suggest the utility of some service.
—New York Times, 1 June 2026
In early April, Amy Coon updated her Facebook page photo to raves from friends.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
While star Inde Navarrette is earning raves for her performance and becoming a meme queen for playing the world’s most devoted girlfriend.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
More than 1 million square feet of space will be used for exhibits, events, gaming, panels, cosplay showcases, movie screenings, raves and afterparties.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The poisson cru à la Tahitienne—a local take on ceviche made with tuna, lime, and coconut milk—wins raves at lunch time, as does the burger.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Her success brought both raves and snark, but a thing that could boldly be said of her whole deal was that it was aligned with counterculture even as it was subsumed by the mainstream.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 9 May 2026
This creamy, whole-grain salad earned raves from the experts in our test kitchen.
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 5 May 2026
This salad earned raves from our recipe testers, with a few calling it their favorite of the day.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2026
Verb
Whether the goal is craft mocktails in Manhattan, sober raves in Berlin or mountain-side kava in Asheville, the infrastructure is finally catching up to the demand.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Surprising melodic choices ride a chameleonic song structure that stutters and shrieks, bounces and raves with a fresh mix of Big Beat, UKG, breakbeats, and electro-pop sounds.
—Kat Bein, SPIN, 21 May 2026
Contributor Gaby Ulloa has the medium-firm Helix Midnight Luxe at home, and raves about the lack of motion transfer and overall support.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 21 May 2026
For the look, Lexi Westergard of Lexi Westergard Design raves about Rojo Marron by Sherwin-Williams.
—Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 15 May 2026
Leipold raves about Amachree’s work ethic and ability to pick up KU’s playbook.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
The team raves about the hotel’s water pressure, and the waterfall shower lives up to the hype.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
Bove’s pick is Otivm Roof Bar overlooking Capitoline Hill, while Ojile raves about Terrazza Flores, the seasonal rooftop bar of El Porteño, a chic Argentinian restaurant.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Benji was also Osuna’s manager in winter ball and raves about him.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raves
Noun
-
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said waiting for the pilot project to wrap up first would only cause unnecessary delays — a remark that drew applause from Creek Team members.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Playing out this irony onstage in school productions, Harbour was rewarded with laughter and applause.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Your journey ends at Millard Canyon Falls, a gorgeous 50(ish)-foot waterfall that gushes past massive boulders perched at the top of the cascade.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Christie regularly gushes over Thornton on Instagram.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And his ultimate war is with Bob, a tech CEO who rants about his haters and has gotten rich off rebranded snake oil and whose obvious corruption has been obscured by his self-mythologizing.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
-
One grumbles when the driver rants about development’s ravages.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The film is currently at a hefty 27% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, which, for a Scary Movie film, is arguably the equivalent of a Cannes standing ovation.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Deadline and other entertainment outlets routinely publish minute-by-minute accounts of film festival standing ovations.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Donghwa—who’s revealed to be thirty-five—rhapsodizes about Oryeong’s devotion, and filial piety over all, although (and, perhaps, because) his own family bonds are strained.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Quince's tees earn high praise for their soft texture and durability.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
-
Still, Kind has nothing but praise for Reiser and Hunt.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Towelie enthuses amid shots of a town overrun by the military.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But the home side’s chanting and cheering were quickly muted in the 50th minute when Sarasota midfielder Chandler O’Dwyer curled a shot from 20 yards out into the top right corner of Boise’s net.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
-
The whole theater at TIFF erupted into cheering at that moment.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raves. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
