1
as in debris
discarded or useless material
the sight of piles and piles of riffraff at the town dump was a sobering reminder that we are indeed a society of consumers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rabble
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
local ordinances that are intended to keep the riffraff out of the town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riffraff
Lawyers, journalists and similar riffraff congregated at lunch or after work, and Vincent worked the room, table-hopping with jokes or movie reviews or tales from his latest intriguing trip.
—
Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2024
The bar’s owner, Frankie (a spirited Jessica Williams), has hired Dalton to purge the riffraff, the better to realize her dream of making the Road House a respectable joint worthy of destination weddings and romantic getaways.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Bypass the riffraff and turn your ideas into something concrete.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024
William is ready for the task and has no intention of being killed by rebels or any other riffraff in the forests of Virginia.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for riffraff
Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2024
The bar’s owner, Frankie (a spirited Jessica Williams), has hired Dalton to purge the riffraff, the better to realize her dream of making the Road House a respectable joint worthy of destination weddings and romantic getaways.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Bypass the riffraff and turn your ideas into something concrete.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024
William is ready for the task and has no intention of being killed by rebels or any other riffraff in the forests of Virginia.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for riffraff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffraff
Noun
-
Use a drain catcher to stop hair and debris from accumulating.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Downed trees and debris at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, in July.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
How dare the lowly rabble at Fenway Park treat our esteemed mayor and governor with such disrespect!—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a rabble-rousing politician with grievances galore.—
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lehkonen is a crease-crasher, a garbage collector and a pest, a greasy goal waiting to happen.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Wash them regularly to remove sugary or syrupy residues from garbage such as soda or fruit juices, which attract foraging bees.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Limon’s body was found April 24 on the Howard Frankland Bridge, also in a large black trash bag and with stab injuries, records state.—
Tony Marrero,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Pratt, 42, has not been shy about his views, referring to Bass as trash, using the Spanish word basura as a play on her last name.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Was Widow’s Bay a literal prison at one point, or is this a metaphor that speaks to how desperately the populace clings to the past?—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of Gladiators fighting for our entertainment, the emperors are shadowboxing before an angry populace.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The dust will take about three weeks to settle.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Scientists identified plant traces by sequencing microscopic DNA fragments found in dust and fibers collected from the Shroud, rather than discovering visible food remains.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Having junk hauled away costs money.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
For me, Storage Wars was an addiction and Darrell was the loveable loser who was always looking for that $40 bill in a pile of junk.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Confirmation for the Cuban public came in March, when President Miguel Diaz-Canel appeared on TV to acknowledge for the first time the negotiations with the US.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the American public has been skeptical.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riffraff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffraff. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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