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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
slaving over a hot stove
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slave
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
In exchange, India exported commodities like cotton cloth, indigo, silk, sugar, slaves, spices, and medicines, including opium.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 20 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
Trump has argued that the amendment, ratified in 1868, was intended to confer citizenship to the children of slaves.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
In exchange, India exported commodities like cotton cloth, indigo, silk, sugar, slaves, spices, and medicines, including opium.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 20 Mar. 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
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News reports gleefully described his six houses, his sixteen Chinese servants, his lavish parties, his $2,000 cashmere suits, and his twelve cars—one of which was a champagne-pink Cadillac with his name splashed across the side in neon lights.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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That conceptual tension has led early users to experience agentic AI as a sort of bossy servant.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The news stunned California, where Chavez rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a galvanizing force for better pay and working conditions for agricultural laborers.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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Lugo, 20, an Orlando construction laborer, was released from Orlando Regional Medical Center after treatment for minor cuts to his upper right arm.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Houston led the Hornets in tackles in 2024 and labored through injuries last season.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Cole works in the office of a bail bondsman in northern Virginia, the charging document states.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
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This time, however, travelers are already facing long lines and delays due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has left thousands of TSA workers without pay.—
De'Anthony Taylor,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2026
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Fatalities data, the group says, is based on a range of sources, including sources among medical workers, publicly available images and official statements.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indonesia was already struggling to meet targets to retire coal plants early, with financing delays even before the Iran war.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even as Queen City Quarter struggles to attract new businesses, three of its tenants face eviction for unpaid rent at the former Epicentre food and entertainment complex in uptown Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These are human beings, not chattel.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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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
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There are the striving, dysfunctional parents, and the politically calculating peers.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Speaking of government secrets, budget some time for the National Atomic Testing Museum, which strives to educate the public about the Nevada Test Site (now called the Nevada National Security Site).—
Mindy Sink,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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