towel

noun

Definition of towelnext
as in napkin
a piece of cloth used for drying things She dried her hair with a towel. Here's a towel to wipe up the spill.

Related Words

Relevance

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 towel Separating towels protects delicate fabrics from damage and reduces lint transfer to other items. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026 If a surface clearly hasn’t been cleaned, ask the front desk for housekeeping assistance or another room, and request fresh towels or bedding if needed. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 But the executives warn against throwing in the towel too soon. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Extra design features like pockets and towel straps can take an apron from functional to genuinely useful. — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for towel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for towel
  1. napkin
  2. handkerchief
Noun
  • The tables were draped in salmon-pink tablecloths and ringed with bright red chairs, and each plate had a napkin folded into a swan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Bieniemy has not returned with a back-of-the-napkin set of new plays.
    — Sam McDowell October 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of napkin
Noun
  • Other fabric scraps of the original dress were used to create handkerchiefs for Noah, her brothers, and herself to carry on the day.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • People’s handkerchiefs would come away from their foreheads stained with soot.
    — Daliah Singer, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of handkerchief

Phrases Containing towel

Browse Nearby Words

towed
towel
towelette
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Towel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/towel. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All