as in shrimp
a person of no importance or influence
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
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Recent Examples of insects
An abundance of blooms draws scores of butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects to the garden.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Its flowers attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies and ladybugs, which prey on aphids.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 19 May 2026
Their generations-old seeds are open-pollinated—fertilized by insects, wind, and the like—rather than being manipulated by breeders.
—Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 May 2026
What’s worse, these wood-destroying insects can be hard to spot and are famously challenging to eradicate.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Spring mosquito season has opened strong for the pesky insects — but not so great for California residents wary of West Nile virus.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Scientists are linking the decline of insects in part to the overuse and misuse of pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Oaks also produce superior leaf litter with thick, leathery leaves that can take up to three years to break down, thereby sheltering beneficial insects and protecting topsoil.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
Pay attention to what kinds of insects are attending to them.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Its flowers attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies and ladybugs, which prey on aphids.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 19 May 2026
Their generations-old seeds are open-pollinated—fertilized by insects, wind, and the like—rather than being manipulated by breeders.
—Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 May 2026
What’s worse, these wood-destroying insects can be hard to spot and are famously challenging to eradicate.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Spring mosquito season has opened strong for the pesky insects — but not so great for California residents wary of West Nile virus.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Scientists are linking the decline of insects in part to the overuse and misuse of pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Oaks also produce superior leaf litter with thick, leathery leaves that can take up to three years to break down, thereby sheltering beneficial insects and protecting topsoil.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
Pay attention to what kinds of insects are attending to them.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
Noun
-
As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
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The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Hughes is one of the world's top lightweights in MMA, the sport where McGregor built his following and name.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Where else could award winning writers pop off about nothing at all, and nobodies could rattle the ivory towers?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Big money, uneven returns Steyer’s spending dwarfs every other candidate.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Look for taller varieties and avoid dwarfs.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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