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
Debt culture is creating slaves of individuals, states, and nations. Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Clarkias are named after prominent explorer William Clark, who, along with Meriwether Lewis, took his personal slave York on their most famous expedition. Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 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
  • My agenda will raise people’s standard of living and expectations of the public servant.
    Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
  • In the earlier installment, Scott played Jacques, a servant who helps summon a demon before meeting a violent end.
    Kennedy French, Variety, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • Westerners, Arabs and Indians dominate business and finance, while laborers from poor countries in Asia and Africa toil for long hours in scorching temperatures at oil facilities and construction sites — often with few protections.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
  • The idea goes back decades, to when Zadikian was working in Iran with art dealer Tony Shafrazi and became fixated on the way laborers stacked clay bricks, repeating the same gesture over and over until something larger took shape.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Imagine a place of employment where everyone in the building is laboring to live out their childhood dream.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 10 May 2026
  • Just three had received fewer innings per game from their starters, increasing the burden on a bullpen laboring under the strain.
    Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Bail bondsman Ira Judelson secured the bond for his release.
    Mark Prussin, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
  • In Florida, a defendant usually pays 10% of the total bond amount to a bondsman to bail out of jail.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • And inside the adjacent soft pretzel shop, two workers leaned over on the counter, watching videos on a phone to pass the time.
    Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • Earlier this week the United Nations blasted Israel over its strikes killing healthcare workers, saying the World Health Organization has recorded 151 such attacks resulting in 103 deaths and 230 injuries.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • The contestants struggled mighty hard with the songs.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.
    Maria Sherman, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • These are human beings, not chattel.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Before meeting Rael-Gálvez, Daria Celeste Landress had learned while researching her family history that three Indigenous ancestors had been listed in historical documents as chattel, alongside furniture, houses, and trees.
    Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Newer companies, such as Firefly Aerospace, Stoke Space and Relativity Space, are also striving to rise to the competition.
    Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
  • As Miranda faces public outcry and the pressures of a downturning publishing industry, Andy once again strives for her approval amid her steadfast pursuit of rigorous journalism.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

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