1
as in debris
discarded or useless material
the sight of piles and piles of riffraff at the town dump was a sobering reminder that we are indeed a society of consumers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rabble
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
local ordinances that are intended to keep the riffraff out of the town
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riffraff
William is ready for the task and has no intention of being killed by rebels or any other riffraff in the forests of Virginia.
—
Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023
There’s a gate topped with barbed wire to keep the riffraff out, and then long and winding stairs down to the sea.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
Boba turned and scanned the alcoves again, ignoring the riffraff who stared at him, and raised his eyebrows at the sight of a familiar face.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2023
The Standard’s interior is sleek yet warm and devoid of riffraff.
—Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 27 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for riffraff
Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023
There’s a gate topped with barbed wire to keep the riffraff out, and then long and winding stairs down to the sea.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
Boba turned and scanned the alcoves again, ignoring the riffraff who stared at him, and raised his eyebrows at the sight of a familiar face.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2023
The Standard’s interior is sleek yet warm and devoid of riffraff.
—Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 27 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for riffraff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffraff
Noun
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Musk brushed off the rocket mishaps, replying to a photo of himself looking at debris from one of SpaceX’s multiple early rocket failures.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
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The building, a five-story apartment complex located in the southern Italian city of Bari, collapsed on Wednesday, March 5 — trapping a woman, 74, beneath the debris, Wanted in Rome — an English magazine for expats in Italy — reports, citing Italian outlet ANSA.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There was little-to-no doubt Jurgen Klopp’s side were going to defeat Ralf Rangnick’s under-interim-management rabble that day.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
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Advertisement From start to finish, pure madness, amid a rabble that never calmed, never quieted, never quit.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Lira, remembering the garbage, quickly takes out the trash.—
Cindy Carcamo,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Leave the garbage can open and place it in the sun to fully dry before closing it or putting a garbage bag in it.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the footage, the individual pulls up to the secluded dumpster in their car and quickly dumps the cat on top of the overflowing trash receptacle.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
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The infant’s body was found in a car seat behind a trash bin in the city of Bellflower, according to previous Bee reporting.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacramento Bee,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For the eighth year in a row, Finland takes first place as the home of the planet’s happiest populace.—
Sandra MacGregor,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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This was preventable; with better, smarter leadership along with a populace that rewarded leadership for being proper stewards of the community and its assets.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In asthma, the immune system overreacts to harmless environmental elements like pollen, mold, or dust, causing airway inflammation.—
Carisa Brewster,
Verywell Health,
20 Mar. 2025
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As some know, director/screenwriter Elijah Bynum’s harrowing feature has been collecting dust on the shelf for two years due mostly to Majors’ problems, including his conviction of misdemeanor assaults against Grace Jabbari.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Ensign said the Department of Homeland Security is complying with the law during deportations, and people could file challenges individually in Texas, where they were held before being sent to El Salvador.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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These people, there's something wrong with these people here on this floor.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For a piece in this week’s issue, Helfand speaks with all parties involved, and even visits Elvis in his current resting place, amid dusty knickknacks and towering piles of junk in an office behind a mechanic’s garage.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
The New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2025
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When the children got older [my eldest is now 38], trying to find convenient snacks that weren't full of all kinds of junk was challenging.—
Carly Mallenbaum,
Axios,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riffraff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffraff. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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