1
as in servants
a person who is considered the property of another person
many American slaves reached freedom in the North through the network known as the Underground Railroad
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laborers
a person who does very hard or dull work
unappreciated office slaves who perform the necessary but tedious task of filing paperwork
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in labors
to devote serious and sustained effort
slaving over a hot stove
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slaves
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
Cimafunk’s stage name is a nod to his ancestral cimarrón culture; during Cuba’s colonial period, escaped slaves formed autonomous communities.
—Bill Kopp, SPIN, 13 May 2026
Debt culture is creating slaves of individuals, states, and nations.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Rastus, Westinghouse’s Great Depression-era robot, was the most overtly racialized of these corporate robot slaves.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Apr. 2026
Some of the first slaves to arrive in Louisiana were sent from Angola, according to historians.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
The massive structure was built between 1805 and 1820 by thousands of former slaves, and stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
During the colonial era, slaves were forcibly baptized here before being sold.
—Mathew Schmalz, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026
The Army gave officers who brought along their slaves a monthly ration or its cash equivalent.
—Craig Fehrman, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
Lewis grew up in Freetown, a farming community established by former slaves in central Virginia.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
Cimafunk’s stage name is a nod to his ancestral cimarrón culture; during Cuba’s colonial period, escaped slaves formed autonomous communities.
—Bill Kopp, SPIN, 13 May 2026
Debt culture is creating slaves of individuals, states, and nations.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Rastus, Westinghouse’s Great Depression-era robot, was the most overtly racialized of these corporate robot slaves.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Apr. 2026
Some of the first slaves to arrive in Louisiana were sent from Angola, according to historians.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
The massive structure was built between 1805 and 1820 by thousands of former slaves, and stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
During the colonial era, slaves were forcibly baptized here before being sold.
—Mathew Schmalz, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026
The Army gave officers who brought along their slaves a monthly ration or its cash equivalent.
—Craig Fehrman, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaves
Noun
-
In 2011, the teenage prince, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, arrived at USC with a small army of servants for an undergrad filled with luxury Lakers suites, exotic cars and a full-time residence at the Beverly Wilshire hotel.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Chunhyang tried to get a message to him through servants, but the messages never reached him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Miners, railroad workers, factory hands, and laborers were the engine of this expansion, and this crowd was tough on clothes.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 May 2026
-
Many were Indigenous seasonal laborers who came from poor, remote mountain villages with low vaccination rates.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Plus, bail bondsmen are the ultimate local rent seekers.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Passed in the final days of session and signed into law by Lamont earlier this week, the bill was praised as a massive victory for the state’s labor community and has been strongly embraced by unions and workers advocacy groups.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Sections of roadwork, albeit with no workers.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
By slow degrees, Philip’s story shifts to accommodate the incontrovertible evidence of IP addresses and deciphered cryptography and Lucy struggles to keep up, let alone understand.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Courtesy Christine Russo Christine Russo, Dominic Russo’s older sister, who participated in the Netflix documentary, said her family still struggles with his loss.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Anyone who’s seen enough adaptations knows the difference between one that strives to apprehend the source material and one that feels derived from a Wikipedia summary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Accessibility Ocean Casino Resort strives to provide an accessible experience for all guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Everyone who works with him, their salary goes up, the writers, the producers.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
-
Public Counsel, a pro bono law firm in Los Angeles that works with low-income communities and vendors, is also working with coalitions and the city of Inglewood to ask that vendors be included in economic opportunities at the games and people in the area without legal status be protected.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaves. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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