1
as in kids
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood
a giggling little boy ran by
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in boyfriends
a male romantic companion
their teenaged daughter has a new boy, and she's just crazy about him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 boys
No team in any sport from a City school has ever produced a longer streak and no coach has more City crowns than Kling’s 55 (33 boys, 22 girls).
—
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Mary Brown retired after coaching boys and girls volleyball in the district for 19 years, including the past eight years with the Knights’ boys team.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
For Perkins, watching all three boys arrive in succession was overwhelming.
—Ryan Brennan
april 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
The Bulls’ boys team is the top seed and played a later match against Matanzas.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
In the Studebaker-Perkins family, that meant three boys — and a household that just got a lot louder.
—Ryan Brennan
april 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Kouri wrote a children’s book to help her boys cope with the loss of their father.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
Both boys testified that Jackson had masturbated in front of them and molested Gavin on several occasions, but Jackson’s defense capably pointed out various inconsistencies in their stories and presented impeaching witnesses.
—Amelia McDonell-Parry, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Tammy relies on all the tools in her tool kit to help her boys.
—Libby Smith, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Mary Brown retired after coaching boys and girls volleyball in the district for 19 years, including the past eight years with the Knights’ boys team.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
For Perkins, watching all three boys arrive in succession was overwhelming.
—Ryan Brennan
april 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
The Bulls’ boys team is the top seed and played a later match against Matanzas.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
In the Studebaker-Perkins family, that meant three boys — and a household that just got a lot louder.
—Ryan Brennan
april 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Kouri wrote a children’s book to help her boys cope with the loss of their father.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
Both boys testified that Jackson had masturbated in front of them and molested Gavin on several occasions, but Jackson’s defense capably pointed out various inconsistencies in their stories and presented impeaching witnesses.
—Amelia McDonell-Parry, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Tammy relies on all the tools in her tool kit to help her boys.
—Libby Smith, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boys
Noun
-
New York parents are asking for ChatGPT limits in schools, while Utah last month passed a law to let parents monitor their kids’ screen time on school devices.—
Joel Mathis,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Coming from the theater, Frank had an old-school approach to performance and atmosphere, while Eleanor, trained in social work and psychology, had an acute understanding of extreme human behavior in kids and adults.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There was a bit of screaming by girls, but the boyfriends who went along wanted to listen to the band.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Heated Rivalry breakouts Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have parlayed their overnight fame into voiceover work for the audio erotica app Quinn, also home to dirty talk from internet boyfriends like Christopher Briney and Andrew Scott.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some of the investors and CEOs competing for teenagers have good reputations.—
Theo Baker,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
They are brought back together when Ruben gatecrashes Niall’s wedding, and the series jumps back and forth between the present and the past, with Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Robertson playing them as teenagers.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So are their girlfriends and wives, who support their beaus in stadiums and at home.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Despite some very not-so-subtle hints from yours truly, my past beaus have never gifted me a handbag on Valentine’s Day, either.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This place was incredible, and got to enjoy it with some good lads.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The year was 1994, and a handful of Irish lads were gathered at a hotel in Northern Ireland to celebrate Colin Cather’s pending nuptials.—
Abby Ellin,
Washington Post,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Harlem Grown is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching youths about growing their own food, sustainability and nutrition through local urban farms.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Hoffmann said the newest data also indicate that as youths age, the negative effects of social media may actually trend down.—
Greg Mellen,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boys. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
