rags 1 of 2

noun

plural of rag
as in clothes
covering for the human body the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags

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rags

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rag
as in scolds
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rags
Noun
Parton’s rags-to-riches tale reads like a classic country music story-song. — Rj Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The family soon moved to a one-bedroom cabin in the nearby town of Locust Ridge, a dwelling that figures proudly in Parton’s rags-to-riches lore. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 Her mother creates the child a coat from rags, which draws criticism from her classmates — but through the picture book’s journey, the girl realizes just how kind her mother’s action was. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Storage shelves, recycling, boxes of holiday decor, old rags, birdseed, and garden and yard tools stored in the garage provide nooks and crannies where mice can satisfy their hunger, hide, and stay warm. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026 The group’s rags to riches story and music was depicted and celebrated in the hit Broadway stage musical Jersey Boys and its subsequent 2014 film adaptation directed by Clint Eastwood. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026 During her riches-to-rags period in the mid-1990s, fame dwindled as did her circle of friends. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 Wilson, 78, brings a rags-to-riches success story to the race. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 The whole busker-to-recording star has a filmic rags-to-riches quality even before Hansard meta-ishly embodied it in the film. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rags
  1. clothing
  2. scolds
  3. attire
  4. lectures
  5. dress
  6. reprimands
Noun
  • Still, state media have been highlighting stories about cafes and other businesses being forced to close for failing to enforce rules on clothing.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Several kinds of clothing, including t-shirts, trousers, sweaters, overcoats, windbreakers, men’s suits and blazers, and accessories, including belts, jewelry, hats, wigs, false beards and eyebrows are included.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of clothing
Verb
  • Some intergenerational sparring ensues, as Kevin scolds Arthur for his more outré boomer comments, and Arthur in turn sneers at his grandson’s millennial lameness.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of scolds
Noun
  • All the guests at Bozoma Saint-John Watson's wedding to Keely Watson were asked to wear authentic Kente cloth attire.
    — Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The image of him, his attire a blasphemous betrayal of the wholesome fun a clown costume promises, and with vibrant, colorful balloons in his hand, lingers in our minds for a long time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of attire
Verb
  • Robert Pozen, who lectures at MIT Sloan School of Management and was formerly president of Fidelity Investments, has an answer to the obvious question about who inspects this.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Khimasia is an independent curator who currently lectures at Rutgers University.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026
Definition of lectures
Noun
  • The Oscar winner paired a leopard-print Givenchy fall 2026 dress and the fashion house’s modern take on T-strap high heels.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Posing next to co-star Sandra Bullock, the Australian star looked statuesque in a strapless column dress that was completely covered in icy mint sequins, which looked like scales.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dress
Verb
  • The emperor reprimands her for being late for the rainmaking ritual.
    — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026
  • His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of reprimands

Phrases Containing rags

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ragouts
rags
rags on
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Cite this Entry

“Rags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rags. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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