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2
as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
raw sugar is honey-colored because the crystals retain cane juices, minerals, and other impurities that haven't been refined out
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3
as in inexperienced
lacking in adult experience or maturity
recruiters like to say the military turns raw youths into responsible men and women
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4
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
the day of the funeral turned out to be one of those bleak, blustery, raw winter days that was as gloomy as our spirits
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5
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool
evenings in those mountains, even during the summer, tend to be a little raw
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6
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
bundle up if you're going sailing, as there's a raw wind out there in the bay
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7
as in rampant
showing no signs of being under control
a frightening display of raw anger
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8
as in naked
lacking or shed of clothing
a pristine stretch of sand where beachgoers commonly sunbathe raw
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as in nudity
the state of having no clothes on one's body
a secluded swimming hole where we could swim in the raw
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of raw
Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Cauliflower Cauliflower is another cruciferous vegetable that may cause bloating when eaten raw.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 6 Jan. 2026
Marley Dewey, The Conversation, 16 May 2025
These ones turn out amazing—topped with sugar in the raw.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 22 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for raw
Adjective
Part of that is the raw cost of goods rising, especially on a product that already was expensive with thin profit margins.
—Noun
If ingested raw, pathogens may remain on the surface of the placenta.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for raw
Adjective
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Always thoroughly wash your hands after handling and preparing food, especially raw or uncooked products.—
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Always thoroughly wash your hands after handling and preparing food, especially raw or uncooked meats and produce.—
Adjective
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Jokic didn’t overtake Jamal Murray as Denver’s leading scorer until their seventh game of the season, after a 33-point performance Wednesday against a Miami Heat frontcourt that was woefully undersized and inexperienced the instant Bam Adebayo exited with a foot injury.—
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Henderson has struggled in that role as a rookie, and Jennings is inexperienced at the pro level.—
Adjective
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Use extra caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water.—
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The story of the Platonic representation hypothesis paper began in early 2023, a turbulent time for AI researchers.—
Adjective
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Threatening retirees’ ranks and pensions, which took a lifetime to earn, has a chilling effect.—
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However, apple trees require proper chilling hours to break dormancy and produce fruit.—
Adjective
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Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
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The conservative activist’s 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, prompting stepped up immigration enforcement, frozen federal funds and more biting rhetoric against the Somali community from President Donald Trump.—
Adjective
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The protests in Iran began two weeks ago in Tehran’s bazaars over rampant inflation, but have since spiraled into wider demonstrations against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime, which has ruled the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.—
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The protests, which began on December 28 as demonstrations in Tehran’s bazaars over rampant inflation, have since spread to more than 100 cities, posing the biggest challenge to the Iranian regime in years.—
Adjective
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One foot was naked, and the other was frozen in its boot.—
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That critique of American foreign policy – that US high-mindedness and democratic idealism conceal naked corporate interests – persisted through the Cold War and into the 21st Century.—
Noun
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While the film — about a woman torn between two brothers — didn’t have anything that would qualify as nudity today, its scenes of Bardot undressing and dancing barefoot to African music scandalized viewers in France and America.—
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The Florida Legislature outlawed full nudity at beaches, and the state then tried closing Haulover’s nude beach in 1994.—
Cite this Entry
“Raw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raw. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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