ruffs

noun

plural of ruff
as in plaits

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffs
  1. plaits
  2. pleats
  3. fringes
Noun
  • Her glossy hair, braided into two plaits, hung down over her shoulders in a style unusual for young girls these days.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Bobby’s is a flouncy skirt and a knotted shirt straight out of the early-aughts MTV Movie & TV Awards, and Elizabeth’s is a full-length dress made out of brown faux leather with a bunch of long plaits swinging off it.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
Definition of plaits
Noun
  • Overly Elaborate Pleats Heavy, elaborate pleats can make curtains look stiff and overly formal, which is why designers are favoring simpler, more elegant pleat styles.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
Definition of pleats
Noun
  • Angelenos avoided the most significant impacts of Hurricane Marie over the Labor Day weekend, but the region continued to soak up the fringes of the storm Sunday, according to meteorologists.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The former Arsenal man had been playing for Lyon in France’s top flight for the past three years, on the fringes of most people’s footballing consciousnesses.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of fringes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ruffling
ruffs
rug
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ruffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffs. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All