caretaker

noun

ˈker-ˌtā-kər How to pronounce caretaker (audio)
Definition of caretakernext
1
as in custodian
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner hired a caretaker for the mansion during the winter months

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in caregiver
a person who has responsibility for the care of another most primary caretakers of elderly parents are women

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 caretaker Netanyahu currently leads a caretaker government until the next election on October 27. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 During the first six months of renovations, the family lived in a caretaker’s apartment inside the property’s barn while the house slowly became habitable. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026 The lingering air pollution has proved to be a challenge for some caretakers to care for their stock. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026 He was trusted with the most intimate emotional labor in his family; trusted to be the caretaker, the one who looked out. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for caretaker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caretaker
  1. custodian
  2. caregiver
  3. keeper
  4. guardian
  5. janitor
  6. warden
Noun
  • Authorities say Borg worked for two years as a custodian for AUSD, but lost his job in 2024 amid a conflict with another employee.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
  • Those jobs belong to a separate custodian, who manages the retirement account paperwork, and a depository, who keeps the metals secure.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • Some evacuees are elderly care home residents, helped out the affected area by their caregivers and, in some cases, paramedics.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • That shouldn't come as a surprise since caregivers spend nearly 24 hours each week coordinating or providing care.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of caregiver
Noun
  • Notably, this goals-prevented metric doesn’t account for the different number of shots a ’keeper faces.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Contrary to a popular myth, bees are indifferent to their keepers.
    — Richard Schiffman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • The collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907, which killed 75 ironworkers due to a calculation error and engineering inexperience, helped establish the professional engineer as a guardian of public safety.
    — Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Parents, guardians, grandparents and others can also contribute up to $5,000 per child per year.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 27 July 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • Parents found out in February that the school’s janitor and maintenance worker, Caleb Crawford, had been convicted and imprisoned for touching a 12-year-old girl in 2016.
    — Rachel Royster July 23, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
  • Landon built relationships with the janitors and grounds crew, always stopping to chat.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of janitor
Noun
  • One hunter, for instance, was confronted by a warden 100 yards from his truck and cited for leaving his hunting license in the vehicle rather than keeping it on his person.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 22 July 2026
  • There were also issues with inadequate access to lawyers, which civil rights advocates raised in a letter to the warden in May 2025.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of warden

Browse Nearby Words

caressing
caretaker
caretakers
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Cite this Entry

“Caretaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caretaker. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on caretaker

Nglish: Translation of caretaker for Spanish Speakers

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