boys

noun

plural of boy
1
as in kids
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood a giggling little boy ran by

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Lastly, to dull the war-mongering vigor of the Rivermen, Ormund installs small, scared little boys, ripped from their homes, all along the chemin de ronde — a baby human shield for Ser Daeron the Daring’s great army. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 At a May 11 school board meeting, Matthews appeared with his daughter and urged officials to keep boys and girls in separate bathrooms. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Chicago police said there have been four robberies since late July involving a group of 10-16 teen boys believed to be between 14 and 19 years old in the city's downtown areas. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026 Those ‘boys’ are in their late forties and fifties now — a comforting reminder, to parents who may be despairing about enduring another entry in this franchise, that all children eventually grow up. — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 The Toyota’s airbags deployed and passersby removed the two boys from the vehicle and stayed with them until paramedics and police arrived. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 The 13-year-old previously attended Lambrook School, Windsor, alongside his brother and sister but will now follow in the footsteps of his father and uncle, Prince Harry, at the prestigious all-boys boarding school. — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 2 Aug. 2026 Protesters and volunteer medics pull the two boys out of the car and try to treat their wounds. — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026 In May 2025, the proud parents posed for photos with their twin boys at their high school graduation. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boys
  1. kids
  2. boyfriends
  3. teenagers
  4. beaux
  5. lads
  6. youths
Noun
  • Kotb and her daughters posed for a summery moms-and-kids photo alongside her Today with Hoda & Jenna co-host and their executive producer Talia Parkinson.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Cheryl Reeve has been the loudest voice in favor of inclusion of transgender kids in particular.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of kids
Noun
  • She’s also joined by a range of boyfriends, with shoppers being able to pick one that has traditionally light or dark features.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 July 2026
  • There’s nothing like two boyfriends to do it for you every time.
    — Steve Wasserman, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of boyfriends
Noun
  • For teenagers like Ivanka Lopez, the summer job is a stepping stone on a career path.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The ruling, filed Thursday in Santa Fe County District Court, found Meta intentionally used features such as endless scrolling, autoplay, notifications and content recommendations to keep users, especially teenagers, on its platforms longer.
    — Jason Volack, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of teenagers
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
Definition of beaux
Noun
  • Or is a ‘good’ World Cup actually one in which none of your lads featured, or their country got knocked out early, and are therefore going to be fresh heading into the 10 gruelling months ahead?
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • This intensive five-day retreat welcomes only America’s dudes, bros, lads, sons and fathers.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Definition of lads
Noun
  • He was also shot once before in 2023 by three other youths during a dispute on a bus.
    — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There were four youths in the vehicle, ages 10, 11, 12 and 14, at the time of the accident.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of youths

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Cite this Entry

“Boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boys. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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