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 While boys are still diagnosed at roughly 2 to 3 times the rate of girls, those disparities even out in adulthood. — Maria Godoy, NPR, 26 July 2026 The 30 boys and 30 girls were each split into teams of five, each with a different color. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 The lawsuit alleges breach of fiduciary duty and claims the school rejected roughly $10 million in pledges from alumni seeking to preserve the all-boys model. — Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026 Several teams were runners-up in the fight for state championships, like Jones football, Horizon boys volleyball, Ocoee girls and Evans boys in basketball, and even the Colonial cheerleading squad. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026 This thing—the military—aims, at least in Harlow’s eyes, to turn boys into tools for brutal battlefield aims. — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 When Matt Damon and his boys land ashore and spot a sheep, Odysseus infers that where there are sheep, there’s a shepherd, and where there’s a shepherd, there’s someone to offer hospitality in accordance with Zeus’s law. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026 That video shows three boys scrubbing the floor and walls of a room in the school with rags as Morrison shouts commands and admonishments. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 2026 Before that, though, 25-year-old Stephanie Hartwell walked her four children — a girl, twin boys, and a younger boy — to the bus stop and sent them off to school. — Samantha Springer, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boys
  1. kids
  2. boyfriends
  3. teenagers
  4. beaux
  5. lads
  6. youths
Noun
  • On their soft opening night, Willey thought the kids had more fun at the bays playing games than the adults did.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
  • For newer cargo-bike riders, this means less to think about in stop-start traffic, when kids, cars, and cargo are already demanding your attention.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Definition of kids
Noun
  • Cricket’s heart is always pointed firmly toward Olympia’s, while her attention moves restlessly from him to a succession of other boyfriends and artists.
    — Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • As with Yarmosky, Holmes seemed to be having fun with these boyfriends, according to The Cut.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of boyfriends
Noun
  • The series, about students at a school in Japan that teaches super-powered teenagers how to become heroes, arrived in the boom era of Marvel Studios’ cinematic universe.
    — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 24 July 2026
  • The majority of measles cases in 2026 have been confirmed among children and teenagers aged 19 and younger, according to the CDC.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 24 July 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
  • The movement’s rapid spread beyond student groups points to growing frustration among young Indians and resembles a broader trend across South Asia, where youths have played a central role in anti-government movements in recent years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • The Office of the Juvenile Officer, which acts as a prosecutor for criminal charges brought against youths, has not filed any charges in connection with the vandalism, said Scott Lauck, spokesman for the office.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 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 29 Jul. 2026.

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