1
as in pulls
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
the deliveryman dragged the barrels over against the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingers
to move or act slowly
one of the climbers was beginning to drag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crawls
to move slowly
the play dragged and seemed to take forever to get to its predictable conclusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in streets
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
the main drag in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the drag of stagnating wages on bringing the economy out of the recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in crabs
a person who spoils the pleasure of others
the teenager was mortified to be seen in public with such drags—her parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drags
Melissa Derosa, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
But the process often drags on for years, with a slim success rate.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Anything that drags creates friction and slows you down.
—Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The other scintillating confession comes in the back of an SUV when Ratner drags it out of Melania that her favorite musician is Michael Jackson.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
The Game Night actor then sits down in a salon chair and jokingly drags Aniston for her lack of professionalism.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
Partial government shutdown drags on Meanwhile, a number of other federal agencies are snared in the funding standoff as the government went into a partial shutdown over the weekend.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Essential functions will continue, but workers could go without pay if the impasse drags on.
—Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
When a deal drags on because an owner is stalling or being defensive, the business buyer loses interest.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Amy Eliza Wong, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Clear tail drags are extremely rare in the fossil record and often disputed, because of how open to interpretation partial marks are – unlike here.
—New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025
Germany and Italy were drags on the growth rate, however, as both countries' economies stalled.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
There are no serious drags anymore.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Another hot, humid half hour of window-shopping drags by.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
Poor governance, misguided acquisitions, or self-serving buybacks are structural drags.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
And when the failure drags on long enough, extreme partisanship rushes in to fill it.
—Melissa Derosa, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
But the process often drags on for years, with a slim success rate.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Anything that drags creates friction and slows you down.
—Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The other scintillating confession comes in the back of an SUV when Ratner drags it out of Melania that her favorite musician is Michael Jackson.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
The Game Night actor then sits down in a salon chair and jokingly drags Aniston for her lack of professionalism.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
Partial government shutdown drags on Meanwhile, a number of other federal agencies are snared in the funding standoff as the government went into a partial shutdown over the weekend.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Essential functions will continue, but workers could go without pay if the impasse drags on.
—Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
When a deal drags on because an owner is stalling or being defensive, the business buyer loses interest.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
People nod, but execution drags.
—Amy Eliza Wong, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Clear tail drags are extremely rare in the fossil record and often disputed, because of how open to interpretation partial marks are – unlike here.
—New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025
Germany and Italy were drags on the growth rate, however, as both countries' economies stalled.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
There are no serious drags anymore.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Another hot, humid half hour of window-shopping drags by.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
Poor governance, misguided acquisitions, or self-serving buybacks are structural drags.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drags
Verb
-
Carolyn pulls him in for a kiss.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The backward shift showed less recovery, likely because gravity pulls downward rather than forward, so some effects of spaceflight on brain position may last longer than others.—
Rachael Seidler,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
No screens, no distractions—only the kind of presence that lingers long after the vows are spoken.—
Nikita Khanna,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Measles also lingers in rooms longer than many other diseases, Weber added.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As with aftermarket switchable sway bar systems, drivers can lock the sway bars in place for better handling and stability at speed and unlock them completely for maximum articulation during bumpy rock crawls.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ma crawls toward you and plants her palms on your cheeks.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her books were their progeny, Stein acknowledged, and without Alice’s mothering—and typing, proofreading, cooking, sewing, shopping, bookkeeping, and warding off bores—they might not have been born.—
Judith Thurman,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Basically, look for a design that looks like as though was made for walking in the Mediterranean, but also for conquering the city streets.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
-
In recent years, neighborhoods ranging from Hancock Park and Lincoln Heights to Mar Vista and Pico Union have been plagued by copper wire theft that darkens the streets.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The researchers created the virtual animals and released them into a synthetic world, giving them tasks on how to navigate, avoid obstacles and find food.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The secluded area in Arizona where Guthrie lives and appears to have been kidnapped in the early morning hours of February 1 continues to present obstacles, as does the intense media scrutiny.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The bar program includes cocktails with personal backstories and spice-box flavors, including nonalcoholic sips like the delicate, floral Honey Heist, made with Lyre’s Dry London spirit, cardamom, saffron, honey and ginger.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Drinks feel just as grown-up, shifting away from sweet sips like sodas (a 2025 staple) and sugary mixed drinks toward options like sparkling water with citrus, martinis (with an olive or onion, of course), savory cocktails, and bloody Marys or Caesars.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Whale falls, which occur when a whale carcass sinks to the ocean floor, create temporary ecosystems that feed octopuses, sharks, crabs, microorganisms and more.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the reserve’s native animal population, including fish, crabs, turtles, herons, flamingos, foxes, and dugongs, cousins to the North American manatee.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drags. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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