as in napkins
a piece of cloth used for drying things
She dried her hair with a towel. Here's a towel to wipe up the spill.
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Recent Examples of towels
In her hometown of Nara, souvenir shops sell towels emblazoned with her slogans, key chains, stationery, even cookies bearing her likeness alongside that of her political idol, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Etherington’s team responded by rappelling the entire route, hand-cleaning every potential handhold with towels and baby wipes.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Hall closets are an excellent place to store your backup sheets, towels, and guest bedding.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
Early in the day Sunday, around 50 activists with Contra-Ice set up along heavily-trafficked areas to pass the towels out to incoming Patriots and Seahawks fans in Santa Clara.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
How often should microfiber towels be washed?
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
The indoor heated swimming pool is a treasure, surrounded by chaise lounges stacked with thick towels.
—Janice Wald Henderson, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
A day pass, which has dynamic pricing, allows visitors to access two beaches and three pools, unlimited food, Wi-Fi, towels and roundtrip transportation.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
For those not in the mood for an al fresco soak, large windows still let in plenty of the serene desert ambiance, and inside, there’s a tub and shower stocked with Salt & Stone bath products, as well as plenty of plush towels and robes.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2025
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Etherington’s team responded by rappelling the entire route, hand-cleaning every potential handhold with towels and baby wipes.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Hall closets are an excellent place to store your backup sheets, towels, and guest bedding.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
Early in the day Sunday, around 50 activists with Contra-Ice set up along heavily-trafficked areas to pass the towels out to incoming Patriots and Seahawks fans in Santa Clara.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
How often should microfiber towels be washed?
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
The indoor heated swimming pool is a treasure, surrounded by chaise lounges stacked with thick towels.
—Janice Wald Henderson, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
A day pass, which has dynamic pricing, allows visitors to access two beaches and three pools, unlimited food, Wi-Fi, towels and roundtrip transportation.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
For those not in the mood for an al fresco soak, large windows still let in plenty of the serene desert ambiance, and inside, there’s a tub and shower stocked with Salt & Stone bath products, as well as plenty of plush towels and robes.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for towels
handkerchiefs
Noun
-
The touches of personal embroidery on little muslin handkerchiefs and the ‘ghost’ handbags were a clever touch.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Some are silky, some are spikey, and some — like the one worn by stately maidservant Hero, played by Emma Corrin — look like handkerchiefs delicately dropped from a great height onto the head of its wearer.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Towels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/towels. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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