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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
The carcass was gone, the grass and weeds were licked clean of blood, and the knife was buried under debris.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike Starlink’s self-burning design, uncontrolled debris from defunct satellites and rocket stages could survive atmospheric reentry and land on Earth.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hundreds of companies are a disorganized rabble.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
Local services like garbage pickup and libraries may close in observance of the holiday as well.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
12 Oct. 2025
-
As those flies landed, so did Stop Sale Orders on all that food that got thrown in the garbage.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Since being deployed to the nation’s capital in August, many guardsmen have been assigned to help with beautification projects like picking up trash and laying mulch, according to CNN.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Send them to the landfill in heavy trash bags.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That means, first and foremost, that Israel’s Arab neighbors will need to take on bigger roles in terms of ensuring the Jewish state’s security and in laying the foundation for a prosperous and moderate Palestinian populace.—
Ilan Berman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
When a witch places a curse on his town, zombies rise from the dead and terrorize the populace.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Always clean the frames before cleaning the glass so dust and dirt don't get stuck on the panes and all particles are removed.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
-
That said, there’s a real sense that the dust is starting to settle.—
Paul Chai,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tedesco's father grew up on the north end of Detroit in a home without heat, across from a railroad and junk yard.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
While in 2019 about 13,700 objects (including space junk) zoomed around the planet in low Earth orbit (LEO), at altitudes below 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers), that number has since risen to 24,185 objects in 2025, an increase of 76%, according to the study.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These methods, while less exacting, are also woefully undemocratic, allowing lawmakers to act independently from and against the interests of the American public.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Koné then had a public falling out with Marseille coach Roberto de Zerbi.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riffraff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffraff. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share