1
as in beggars
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living
vagrants sleeping in cardboard boxes on the sidewalk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bums
an idle worthless person
the vagrants who are a familiar sight at the city's bus terminal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vagrants
But in the wake of the fire and regular break-ins by vagrants, the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission approved demolition on account of economic hardship in December 2024.
—
Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Sadly, the reason bus shelters are disappearing is that the city does not wish to provide seating for homeless people or other kinds of vagrants who may congregate there.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
Beggars and vagrants were a common sight.
—Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Indeed, a study of early 19th-century court records found that in Philadelphia, nearly half of those convicted as vagrants were African American — a figure wildly disproportionate to the city’s minority Black population.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Sadly, the reason bus shelters are disappearing is that the city does not wish to provide seating for homeless people or other kinds of vagrants who may congregate there.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
Beggars and vagrants were a common sight.
—Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Indeed, a study of early 19th-century court records found that in Philadelphia, nearly half of those convicted as vagrants were African American — a figure wildly disproportionate to the city’s minority Black population.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagrants
Noun
-
Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In the old days beggars were drawn and quartered in that square.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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History buffs, avid hikers, music lovers, wine aficionados, and beach bums will all find a town to love in the Old Dominion.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
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For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.—
Sarah Cahalan,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The former, in which Burnett and Hamilton did a song-and-dance routine as Dust Bowl-era hobos, marked the first of several times that the two performed together.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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From oversized, slouchy hobos to structured East-West silhouettes and laptop-ready work totes, this season’s best suede bags deliver a luxurious polish that will elevate every fall wardrobe.—
Lauren Alexis Fisher,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rational fears or no, the fact remains that the 24 acres of Bayfront Park belong right now to a few misfits and derelicts.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The scene inspired future comedy gags showing drifters and tramps losing their pants to dogs chasing them.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
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Told in a lingua franca of philosophy and academic jargon, Lucky’s speech has something to do with the collapse of reason and logic, and the futility of human progress, which is ultimately what tramps Estragon (Reeves) and Vladimir (Winter) are up against, too.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Decades before his lens moved between nocturnal vagabonds in the East Village and names such as Diana Vreeland, William Burroughs, and Fran Lebowitz, the young man realized the power of his eye.—
Osman Can Yerebakan,
Air Mail,
2 May 2026
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There are no talking-head interviews putting addiction into a moral context, nor are there romanticized vagabonds.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vagrants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagrants. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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