grab bag

noun

1

: a receptacle (such as a bag) containing small articles which are to be drawn (as at a party or fair) without being seen

2

: a miscellaneous collection : potpourri

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of grab bag in a Sentence

Congress has proposed a grab bag of tax cuts.

the festival featured a grab bag of independent films from widely disparate genres

Recent Examples on the Web

Her most incredible discovery yet came from one of these Marketplace purchases: an 8-pound jewelry grab bag. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

Young enthusiasts can start their own collection with $1 grab bags filled with eight minerals. —Laura Daily and Bryan K. Chavez, The Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2025

The big picture: The executive order is a grab bag of projects that the administration had been working on based on its time fighting a large number of high-profile hacks, including SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025

These also make excellent white elephant or grab bag gifts. —Amanda Lauren, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grab bag

• airbag
• handbag
• ragtag
• sandbag
• ag
• brag
• dag
• drag
• flag
• gag
• hag
• hagg