as in napkins
a piece of cloth used for drying things
She dried her hair with a towel. Here's a towel to wipe up the spill.
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Recent Examples of towels
Individual disposable towels and/or hand drying device not provided at lavatory or hand sink.
—
Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Kohl’s has quick-dry ribbed towels that come in fun fall colors, like yellow, a variety of greens and different blues.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
In a more relaxed photo, Mamet and Jonigkeit are chilling in a bed, wearing plush white robes with their hair hidden under towels.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Use smaller pillows or even rolled up blankets or towels.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Each of the 16 guest rooms is equipped for luxury, with features like Grown Alchemist bath products and Frette towels, and the blooming gardens below are perfect for a stroll or for setting up shop in the afternoons with a book.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
Towels & Bedding There's a lot of conflicting information out there on washing towels and bedding in cold water simply for the energy savings, but Ken Doty, cleaning expert at The Maids, says this temperature is not the best choice.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
The total extra cost came to around $300—including $200 in additional cleaning fees and $100 to replace the knives and towels.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Like bedsheets, bath towels are incredibly subjective.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 24 Sep. 2025
Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Kohl’s has quick-dry ribbed towels that come in fun fall colors, like yellow, a variety of greens and different blues.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
In a more relaxed photo, Mamet and Jonigkeit are chilling in a bed, wearing plush white robes with their hair hidden under towels.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Use smaller pillows or even rolled up blankets or towels.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Each of the 16 guest rooms is equipped for luxury, with features like Grown Alchemist bath products and Frette towels, and the blooming gardens below are perfect for a stroll or for setting up shop in the afternoons with a book.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
Towels & Bedding There's a lot of conflicting information out there on washing towels and bedding in cold water simply for the energy savings, but Ken Doty, cleaning expert at The Maids, says this temperature is not the best choice.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
The total extra cost came to around $300—including $200 in additional cleaning fees and $100 to replace the knives and towels.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Like bedsheets, bath towels are incredibly subjective.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for towels
handkerchiefs
Noun
-
For centuries, islanders lined fishing docks below the castle, waving handkerchiefs at ships setting sail for America.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
-
By 1843, veterans regularly received navy blue jackets, pairs of cotton and linen trousers, flannel drawers and shirts, socks, pairs of shoes, white and checked cotton shirts, silk and cotton handkerchiefs, and hats.—
Made by History,
TIME,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Towels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/towels. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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