1
as in newspaper
a publication that appears at regular intervals
the local rag publishes more gossip than news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of rag
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
Some members mopped their brows with colorful kitchen rags brought from home.
—Alex Vadukul, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Mark Critchley, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The band’s music was ragged and dry, the work of self-referential pranksters scavenging for meaning at the tail end of rock’s imperial era.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Noun
Spritz on just a little and polish with a rag or cloth to make the leaves of artificial plants shine, giving them the illusion of being real.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
Some members mopped their brows with colorful kitchen rags brought from home.
—Alex Vadukul, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
Athletic Club ran United ragged in that opening period of this Europa League semi-final, twice coming close to going ahead, and only properly fell apart once reduced to 10 men.
—Mark Critchley, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The band’s music was ragged and dry, the work of self-referential pranksters scavenging for meaning at the tail end of rock’s imperial era.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rag
Verb
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At another meeting in May 2024, Grippo scolded female employees for not working hard enough, although the team was high-performing and employees worked long hours, the lawsuit said.—
Suhauna Hussain,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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In January at the annual World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump scolded Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Rather than lecturing, Kahn recommends guiding them to draw their own conclusions.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
20 May 2025
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Trump stated during his big speech on the trip that his administration was not there to lecture the region on how to deal with its affairs.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Verb
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What follows is a series of painful-to-watch confrontations between the two, in which Ace reprimands Amaya for normal human behavior, like expecting the guy who chose her to show some romantic interest, in the low, measured tone of a psychopath.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
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Manford was reprimanded for the incident; a male coworker who had done something similar a month before faced no repercussions, according to court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Chicago Tribune If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money.—
Maura Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Tax rise hit Domestic tax rises have also been blamed for the steep decline in economic activity.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Harry and Meghan have been criticized for making money out of projects that criticized the royal family, including through the multiyear, multimillion dollar Netflix deal that the Harry & Meghan documentary was part of.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
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The document was quickly criticized for errors and citing studies that don’t exist, as first reported by NOTUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rag. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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