as in rituals
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
the annual summer rite of loading up the car for the big family vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of rites
Other tools found in the gravesites appear to be brand new and were buried with the dead during funerary rites.
—
Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
The film begins with our protagonist, Ahmed, carrying out his late father’s funeral rites while verses are read from an ancient Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
As Black instruments were confiscated and burned, the new Caribbeans would abandon their plantations to perform secret rites in the forests, or remake their tools entirely.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
As teenagers, they were convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys, allegedly as part of Satanic rites.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Shamanistic elements are naturally woven into Korean holidays and ancestral memorial rites.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
This research sheds light on the architecture and funerary rites of ancient Achaea, a region known for its role in founding the colony of Croton in Magna Graecia.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Dec. 2024
Part 2, on Sunday, is an inaugural Mass, with special rites to consecrate the main altar.
—John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
While obedient to the Roman Catholic pope, the sect is an Eastern rite church that retains distinctive liturgical rites.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2024
Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
The film begins with our protagonist, Ahmed, carrying out his late father’s funeral rites while verses are read from an ancient Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
As Black instruments were confiscated and burned, the new Caribbeans would abandon their plantations to perform secret rites in the forests, or remake their tools entirely.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
As teenagers, they were convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys, allegedly as part of Satanic rites.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Shamanistic elements are naturally woven into Korean holidays and ancestral memorial rites.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
This research sheds light on the architecture and funerary rites of ancient Achaea, a region known for its role in founding the colony of Croton in Magna Graecia.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Dec. 2024
Part 2, on Sunday, is an inaugural Mass, with special rites to consecrate the main altar.
—John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
While obedient to the Roman Catholic pope, the sect is an Eastern rite church that retains distinctive liturgical rites.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rites
Noun
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At the Hōshi Ryokan, the daily rituals of preparing baths or meals resemble a kind of stewardship — something that has kept the inn alive for more than 1,300 years.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Sep. 2025
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While modest in size, it’s thoughtfully designed—offering pro-lift facials, ultra-glow peels, Himalayan salt rituals, hot stone therapy, and deeply restorative treatments like the Pro Sleep and Indian head massages.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Notably, most viewers are watching the Emmys and other award ceremonies in bite-sized clips, scattered through social media timelines, rather than the full ceremony, and don’t pay as much attention to the running time.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Pregame ceremonies honored the victims and heroes of the terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people in 2001.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rites. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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