as in grown-ups
a fully grown person
at the beach, the adults sat under broad umbrellas while the children splashed in the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of adults
Brenda McAleer, dean of the College of Professional Studies at the University of Maine at Augusta — which is preparing to offer a bachelor’s of applied public administration — said the degrees were designed for adults who already have some work experience or have taken some college courses.
—
Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026
In practice, kids and adults alike are eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
In Texas, 17-year-olds are considered adults.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Authorities in Sonoma County say a man recently arrested in connection with a financial scam that cost an elderly couple over $25,000 is part of a larger scheme targeting older adults.
—Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 4 June 2026
From a very early age, he’s been subjected to tremendous pressure and commitments that would make most adults cry, all while living in a world that exposes him to the masses nearly every waking second.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 4 June 2026
Tickets, which include the Phenomenomaly performances, are $50 for adults and $33 for kids 3-11, with $15 parking.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 4 June 2026
The guiding image of my process was not an outline, but the ball pit found at indoor playgrounds, beloved by children and feared by adults who carry hand sanitizer just for such activities.
—Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
But integrating chatbots made for adults into toys for kids poses its own array of threats, Padilla told the Union-Tribune.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026
Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026
In practice, kids and adults alike are eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
In Texas, 17-year-olds are considered adults.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Authorities in Sonoma County say a man recently arrested in connection with a financial scam that cost an elderly couple over $25,000 is part of a larger scheme targeting older adults.
—Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 4 June 2026
From a very early age, he’s been subjected to tremendous pressure and commitments that would make most adults cry, all while living in a world that exposes him to the masses nearly every waking second.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 4 June 2026
Tickets, which include the Phenomenomaly performances, are $50 for adults and $33 for kids 3-11, with $15 parking.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 4 June 2026
The guiding image of my process was not an outline, but the ball pit found at indoor playgrounds, beloved by children and feared by adults who carry hand sanitizer just for such activities.
—Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
But integrating chatbots made for adults into toys for kids poses its own array of threats, Padilla told the Union-Tribune.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adults
elders
Noun
-
The workforce’s youngest cohort has been labeled lazy, entitled, and unrelentingly pessimistic by their elders.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adults. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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