as in raffish
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffianly
Adjective
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Slain Supervisor Harvey Milk is raffish in his bust, tossing his head back with his necktie askance — the image is taken from a famous Dan Niccoleto photograph in front of the Castro Camera store.—
J.K. Dineen,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Dec. 2025 -
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His current work is less abrasive, more reggae-themed than riotous.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
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The hillside behind her was sprinkled with desert golds, but the display fell short of the riotous eruption of flowers posted on social media.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Academy Award winner Questlove kicks off the 25th Tribeca Festival with the boisterous, decades-spanning story of this legendary American band and its enigmatic founder, Maurice White.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
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Despite their over-the-top reputations, their contributions are less about adding a boisterous EDM drop and more about accentuating Toki’s strengths.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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By night, the vibe is more adults-only, with rowdy singalongs at the Observation Deck champagne and piano bar, and sultry jazz vibes taking over the interior Living Room common space.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
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Simpson released the rowdy disco delight Mutiny After Midnight — his second record under his alter ego, Johnny Blue Skies — last month.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
30 Mar. 2023
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Transform your salad spinner into a carnival-style spin art machine.—
Lauren Piro,
Good Housekeeping,
31 Oct. 2022
Adjective
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Leo arrived to a raucous welcome in Bamenda, where blasting music from loudspeakers gave the event a concert-like vibe.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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The Hornets won one of the biggest home games in franchise history Tuesday night, edging Miami, 127-126, in a raucous, controversial overtime contest played in front of their 16th straight sellout crowd in Charlotte.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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One of the only figures in Fuqua’s filmography who resembles Alonzo is Suge Knight, the real-life hip-hop executive known for his bullying—and sometimes violent—approach to business and life.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The violent attack marked a tragic and final chapter in Griffin’s downward spiral following his mother’s death in 2021.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The atmosphere, for a while, was carnivalesque.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
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Participants take over city streets for a carnivalesque monthly ride, contesting cars’ dominance.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ruffianly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffianly. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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