as in ritual
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
the annual summer rite of loading up the car for the big family vacation
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Recent Examples of rite
The dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for handling the victims' bodies, which clash with local burial rites.
—
CBS News, 31 May 2026
Distrust, travel bans could complicate response Dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for dealing with the bodies of victims, which clash with local burial rites.
—Mark Banchereau, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
One union was sealed by Satanic rite, alongside a pit of corpses.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Contact with the body of an Ebola victim is an easy way for the disease to spread, but sanitary disposal of a body conflicts with the cultural burial rites of the Congolese.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rite
CBS News, 31 May 2026
Distrust, travel bans could complicate response Dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for dealing with the bodies of victims, which clash with local burial rites.
—Mark Banchereau, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
One union was sealed by Satanic rite, alongside a pit of corpses.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Contact with the body of an Ebola victim is an easy way for the disease to spread, but sanitary disposal of a body conflicts with the cultural burial rites of the Congolese.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rite
Noun
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After a few minutes of ritual, a group of three men shed their long black robes to reveal flowing gowns and began their sema, or ceremony, a ritual that has been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
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That might include customer commitments the team can protect, decisions managers can make without escalation, experiments the team can run over the next 30 days, learning priorities for an AI transition, escalation rules for customer or employee risk, and team rituals that keep work coherent.—
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
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The chairs for 3,000 attendees at the opening ceremony on June 18 magically cleared overnight, making way for DJ sets, dancing and a long line to take a picture with the statue of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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But what about the actual ceremony?—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rite. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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