slaves 1 of 2

plural of slave
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

Relevance

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

slaves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of slave

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 slaves
Noun
The new educational panels were designed to replace ones put up in 2010 that told the story of how nine slaves lived in the home along with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation’s capital. Geoff Mulvihill, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026 Freed Black male slaves obtained that right before any woman did. ABC News, 3 July 2026 By 1790, half of the world's coffee was being grown in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, in what is today Haiti, Pendergrast says, where slaves were routinely mistreated, raped and murdered. James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026 That need became more urgent over subsequent centuries, as that union came to include an ever-wider selection of people, among them former slaves and immigrants from Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America. Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 Four of the justices appointed by Republican presidents see the original public meaning of the 14th Amendment as quite different, primarily recognizing the citizenship of former slaves and their descendants after the Civil War. Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 30 June 2026 Odysseus also gives the order to kill twelve young house slaves who have been sleeping with the suitors. David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 Haiti is the world’s first Black independent republic after African slaves defeated Napoleon’s army and broke the shackles of slavery. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2026 Lincoln's Proclamation did not free slaves in all states. Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Verb
Things are equally akilter in his family’s home, with his mother now sitting on the couch watching TV while his father slaves away in the kitchen. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaves
Noun
  • Individuals who begin to see themselves as fathers, mothers, believers, mentors, or servants often become less attached to the identities that contributed to their criminal behavior in the first place.
    Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Commissioner Tisch has already shown a real commitment to cracking down on corruption and ensuring that the public servants in the NYPD are held to the highest standards.
    Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • He is accused of not checking work authorizations before hiring laborers, according to the Post.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • Israel soon barred nearly two hundred thousand Palestinian laborers from its workforce.
    Nirit Peled, New Yorker, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.
    Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • That is the standard set for bringing weapons and cellphones into a secure area, safeguarding department property, monitoring the radio, misusing department letterhead, badges or insignia, secondary employment violations, and recommending bondsmen or attorneys to inmates.
    Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • Plus, bail bondsmen are the ultimate local rent seekers.
    Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • There are fewer opportunities for younger workers to find mentors and soak up knowledge.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The sheriff's office says a preliminary investigation found that workers were installing underground tanks.
    DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • During contests, their stomachs stretch, heart rates rise, and digestion struggles to keep up, causing intense physical stress.
    Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Her 12-year-old son, Whitman, has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, in which the brain struggles to tell muscles how to move to form words or perform other motor skills.
    Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Perusing the menu online provides insight into how truly diverse Sushi Sushi strives to be.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026
  • While leadership strives to accelerate AI investment, many workers, particularly in frontline and junior positions, still don’t understand how the technology will impact their daily responsibilities or long-term career paths.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Anderson has since remarried and currently works as chief of staff for corporate development at payment technology company Celero Commerce.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The land transfer cleared its last regulatory hurdle June 26 with the approval by the California Transportation Commission, said Neil Thapar, an attorney who works as an advisor and legal consultant to Kai Poma.
    Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaves. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on slaves

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster