slave 1 of 2

Definition of slavenext
1
as in servant
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

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2
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work unappreciated office slaves who perform the necessary but tedious task of filing paperwork

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slave

2 of 2

verb

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 slave
Noun
For European and American slave traders, iron shackles were seen simply as tools that helped run the transatlantic slave trade. Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth marks when the last Black slaves of the Confederacy were ordered free following the arrival of Union troops. Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 June 2026
Verb
After two years away on loan while Leeds were slaving away in the second tier, the winger has returned to find his old No 11 shirt in Brenden Aaronson’s possession. The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Defined by exhaustion from slaving away at the ironing board while confronting the latest family crisis, Angela is quite capable of whipping up baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise for all and functions as a wise-cracking, big-hearted den mother. Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slave
Noun
  • The film also features Odysseus’ servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta and Agamemnon’s brother.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • For American diners of diverse backgrounds, chop suey struck an enticing balance between novelty and decipherability, which propelled it to national popularity even as the US government moved to exclude Chinese laborers from entering the country in 1882.
    Ashley Rose Young, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2026
  • Filipino laborers came to Mexico via colonialism, and adapted and adopted champoy with spices and chilies from Mexico to become chamoy.
    Stephanie Shih June 17, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Mercurius began laboring in the third and left after Hull's second homer of the CWS and ninth of the season leading off the fifth.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
  • The British Parliament had built restrictions into the freedom edict to guarantee the enslaved and newly free would continue laboring, either for poverty wages or to repay bottomless debt.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 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
  • Kim Kardashian, who has advocated for prison reform, paid the bondsman to have Glossip released, her publicist told The Oklahoman.
    Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • If a co-worker asks for help, set a clear window so your schedule stays protected.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2026
  • One of the options presented must be placing a premium on companies with at least 250 employees, who don’t offer health coverage, to offset the cost to taxpayers for having their workers enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to the deal.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • In addition, composters are struggling with the amount of plastic and other debris that people and businesses put in the food waste bins.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • Cristiano Ronaldo looks to be in top form after struggling in his World Cup opener, scoring two goals already today.
    Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Men were masters over their women, their chattel, and their emotions.
    Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
  • The law turned human beings into chattel, allowing them to be worked, beaten, sold, raped and killed — and France never formally did away with it.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Born in Brooklyn, NY, on April 4, 1932, Davis was a striving student who attended New York University on a full scholarship, and graduated magna cum laude.
    Chris Morris, Variety, 22 June 2026
  • Nolan seems to be striving for geographic realism interspersed with violent and fantastic episodes.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

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