1
as in newspaper
a publication that appears at regular intervals
the local rag publishes more gossip than news
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2
as in clothing
rags plural
covering for the human body
the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rag
Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
That cleaning can be done with hot water, gentle dish soap, and a soft sponge or rag.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Bill Skarsgård is absolutely marvelous in the role, his breath ragged, his thick Romanian accent at once menacing and more than a little preposterous.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rag 
Noun
Cover the gaps at the bottom of your door with towels, pillows, or rags.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
That cleaning can be done with hot water, gentle dish soap, and a soft sponge or rag.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
Odysseus is dressed as a beggar, ragged and ruined.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Bill Skarsgård is absolutely marvelous in the role, his breath ragged, his thick Romanian accent at once menacing and more than a little preposterous.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rag
Verb
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At one point, an appalled Robinson came outside to scold her daughter.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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On the other side of the FaceTime call is none other than Set It Off star Vivica Fox, who scolds Glo for sleeping in.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
4 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Schachner playfully lectures Smooth for pulling the blue bandanna off his Team Fluff teammate, Alice.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
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The long-standing lament that Latin American conservatives, centrists, and leftists share is that whereas the United States comes to the region to punish and lecture, China comes to trade.—
Will Freeman,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Witnesses told investigators that Sanchez had planned to reprimand Jimenez for his allegedly poor work ethic and other faults, according to court filings.—
Gary Klien,
The Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2025
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In 2011, in the southern city of Daraa, a group of teen-age boys were caught painting anti-government graffiti on a wall, and, rather than simply reprimand them, secret police tortured them to death.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the wake of the extreme wildfires that destroyed more than 12,000 homes and buildings, some are blaming the destruction squarely on that.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
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After the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which deemed affirmative action in university admissions unconstitutional, attacks on DEI proliferated, and the term became a right-wing bogeyman blamed for almost anything that goes wrong in any workplace.—
Kizzy Cox,
Essence,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The agreement is already being heavily criticized by New York City Council leaders, after prosecutors resigned in protest against a directive from Trump's Department of Justice to dismiss corruption charges against Adams so the mayor could assist with the Republican president's immigration agenda.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
arkansasonline.com,
15 Feb. 2025
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Elon Musk's transgender daughter has criticized the decision to remove references to transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument website.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near rag
Cite this Entry
“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rag. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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