1
as in debris
discarded or useless material
the sight of piles and piles of riffraff at the town dump was a sobering reminder that we are indeed a society of consumers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rabble
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
local ordinances that are intended to keep the riffraff out of the town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riffraff
Lawyers, journalists and similar riffraff congregated at lunch or after work, and Vincent worked the room, table-hopping with jokes or movie reviews or tales from his latest intriguing trip.
—
Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2024
The bar’s owner, Frankie (a spirited Jessica Williams), has hired Dalton to purge the riffraff, the better to realize her dream of making the Road House a respectable joint worthy of destination weddings and romantic getaways.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Bypass the riffraff and turn your ideas into something concrete.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024
William is ready for the task and has no intention of being killed by rebels or any other riffraff in the forests of Virginia.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for riffraff
Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2024
The bar’s owner, Frankie (a spirited Jessica Williams), has hired Dalton to purge the riffraff, the better to realize her dream of making the Road House a respectable joint worthy of destination weddings and romantic getaways.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Bypass the riffraff and turn your ideas into something concrete.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024
William is ready for the task and has no intention of being killed by rebels or any other riffraff in the forests of Virginia.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for riffraff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffraff
Noun
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Working from top to bottom means debris from the top will land on a dirty floor instead of a clean one.—
Kelsey Mulvey,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The debris appears as a large cloud of dirty water seen beyond the shoals off Montego Bay.—
Avery Schmitz,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hundreds of companies are a disorganized rabble.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
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Steve heads up a reform school for volatile, cursing and rabble-rousing English boys, and his mental health is tested when a documentary crew shows up and word gets out the school is closing.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One officer allegedly found garbage bags inside a large freezer that were later determined to contain the remains of a female, the station reported.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Milivojevic, meanwhile, has benefited with garbage-time appearances over the last four games, putting up three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the process.—
Christian Romo,
Freep.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the middle of his struggle, according to several people who were seated courtside, a fan started talking some serious trash.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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While disposals, drains, trash bins, and dishwashers are some of the most likely culprits, your walls and other surfaces could be a source of lingering odors, too.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As 39% of the United Kingdom populace struggles to heat their homes, Edelstyn and Powell huddle under blankets themselves, trying vainly to warm up with endless mugs of tea.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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Each district sends two children as tributes to the fight-to-the-death Hunger Games, concocted by the capitol to keep the populace distracted.—
Adam Bell,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kitchens require constant cleaning, as dust and grease build up on cabinet tops.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately, curtains can gather a lot of dust, mold, or dirt if not cleaned every so often, and can lead to allergies and an unhygienic home.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While the rental housing industry has said that many of these rules are already best practices, Elo-Rivera said that such reassurance is not helpful to the tenants who do get hit by junk fees and other charges on top of their rent.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Oct. 2025
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Even small pieces of space junk (for example, leftover or broken pieces from space launches or nonfunctioning satellites) can have catastrophic effects.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The pair took their relationship public in September 2024, a year-and-a-half after Boss’ death.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Proxy advisory firms have long held sway over Wall Street, but their recommendations are even more prominent today, when almost two thirds of the American public has a stake in the stock market .—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riffraff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffraff. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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