slave 1 of 2

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Another figure highlighted in the show is Charles Ignatius Sancho, who was born on a British slave ship around 1729. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2025 Hundreds of slaves built and staffed the plantation for the family of prominent Louisiana planter John Hampden Randolph. Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Verb
For the Outies to live their lives without a second thought to that other person slaving away underground? Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025 Charcoal portraits depict six of the enslaved Africans who were aboard the Amistad, the 19th-century slaving schooner that became the center of a landmark Supreme Court case. Kaila Philo, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slave
Noun
  • Although the servant admits that Hamm has been like a father to him, their relationship is also highly dysfunctional.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
  • There would be no roads or currency and the project would be staffed by robot servants and flying cars.
    James Montague, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Noun
  • Some of the laborers were sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Baker County, while some went to Miami's Krome Detention Center.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • And, indeed, much like other immigrant laborers, French-Canadian loggers were subject to harsh working conditions and low pay as well as to political disenfranchisement.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Halfway through his first term, Johnson is laboring diligently to shore up his support among Black voters.
    Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
  • Supreme Court justice calls it 'ridiculous' Trump cuts reach climate scientists who labored for free Melina Khan is a trending reporter covering national news for USA TODAY.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Kevin Bacon starred as the titular bondsman, with Jennifer Nettles, Damon Herriman, Beth Grant, Maxwell Jenkins, and Jolene Purdy also starring.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 17 May 2025
  • And that’s exactly what Hub gets when attempting to arrest two criminals who have escaped bail, but who end up catching the bondsman off-guard, shooting him with a shotgun blast (a bulletproof vest saves his life) and then ultimately slitting his throat with a knife.
    Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, DC, were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in late May, and an arsonist set the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion on fire on the first night of Passover because of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s views on the war in Gaza, according to search warrants.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • Food worker with discharge from eyes, nose and/or throat.
    Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Both players have struggled with runners in scoring position this season, but that wasn’t the case Tuesday.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, Karsh struggles to find his way back to life.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • This leads them to strive to inspire others, creating a virtuous cycle that perpetually increases engagement, a sense of purpose, and more.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • The album’s 11 tracks don’t strive to be confessional, just open.
    Janine Schaults, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • There is no question, the enslaved workers at the Nottoway Plantation during the antebellum era were human chattel.
    Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Time, 21 May 2025
  • Khartoum was founded as a slave market, in 1821, and Arabs continued to raid southern areas, including the Nuba Mountains, for human chattel long after the practice was outlawed, in 1924.
    Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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