as in rituals
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 rites
The incident underscored growing tensions between health officials enforcing strict Ebola containment measures and local customs surrounding funerals and burial rites.
—
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Response clashes with local customs The efforts of health officials and aid groups have met with pushback from communities due to misinformation or situations where medical policy has clashed with local customs such as burial rites.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
The role is an unlikely but relatively steady and well-paid job in Kenya’s poorer western regions, where traditional beliefs blend with widespread Christianity to create a unique patchwork of religious rites.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
He was visited by a priest on Monday, May 4, who performed the last rites.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
The university's Bangladesh Student Association has served as a liaison, asking the institution for help preserving Limon's remains in accordance with Islamic rites.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
The world may have been upended by the war and the ink has barely dried on the Treaty of Versailles, but the society doyennes are doing their darnedest to return to the rituals and rites that used to govern our days.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Celebrating love is universal, but the exact rites and rituals vary.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
The siting of the rites at the Colosseum—where it has been held since 1964, echoing a practice from the eighteenth century—means that the Pope enacts Jesus’ final hours not in a Baroque basilica but against the backdrop of the Roman Empire, which exercised power through violence.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Response clashes with local customs The efforts of health officials and aid groups have met with pushback from communities due to misinformation or situations where medical policy has clashed with local customs such as burial rites.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
The role is an unlikely but relatively steady and well-paid job in Kenya’s poorer western regions, where traditional beliefs blend with widespread Christianity to create a unique patchwork of religious rites.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
He was visited by a priest on Monday, May 4, who performed the last rites.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
The university's Bangladesh Student Association has served as a liaison, asking the institution for help preserving Limon's remains in accordance with Islamic rites.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
The world may have been upended by the war and the ink has barely dried on the Treaty of Versailles, but the society doyennes are doing their darnedest to return to the rituals and rites that used to govern our days.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Celebrating love is universal, but the exact rites and rituals vary.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
The siting of the rites at the Colosseum—where it has been held since 1964, echoing a practice from the eighteenth century—means that the Pope enacts Jesus’ final hours not in a Baroque basilica but against the backdrop of the Roman Empire, which exercised power through violence.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rites
Noun
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Many fans embraced the alternatives, helping demonstrate that non-alcoholic beer could still play a role in the World Cup’s social rituals and match-day atmosphere.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
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Earlier this month, Dunne opened up about her rituals for watching Skenes play while appearing on The Tonight Show.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
Noun
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That cosmology shaped daily life, from farming cycles to ceremonies.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Memorial Day weekend was supposed to be among the busiest times of the year for Nails Galore, with scores of high school seniors booking manicures for prom and graduation ceremonies, owner Huong Tran said.—
Mona Darwish,
Oc Register,
26 May 2026
Noun
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That means offices and observances tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, such as Miami Dade Black Affairs initiatives, Women’s History Month programming, and a wide range of cultural and heritage related programming across Florida.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
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The Black Wall Street Rally also returns to Greenwood that weekend, with speakers, panels, and community programming connected to Greenwood Rising’s Juneteenth observances.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rites. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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