Thesaurus results for CUSTODIANS

custodians

noun

plural of custodian

as in keepers

a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner the custodian made his usual rounds of the building to make sure that everything was OK

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as in guardians

a person or group that watches over someone or something served as custodian of the prisoner until he could be turned over to federal authorities

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as in defenders

someone that protects we must regard ourselves as custodians of the Earth so that its natural resources may be enjoyed by many generations to come

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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 custodians Any school district employee — including bus drivers, custodians, front-office staff, aides and administrators — can get a small (16-ounce) hot or cold drink of their choice. — Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026 Process owners are becoming the custodians of enterprise autonomy, a responsibility that’s arriving faster than most teams expected. — Rajesh Gharpure, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 According to the Reza website, the brand actually dates back to the mid-1700s when the emperor of Persia selected the ancestors of the Reza family as custodians of the royal treasury eventually to serve as royal jewelers of Persia. — David Moin, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026 This accounts for about 120 workers, including security guards, custodians, groundskeepers and wheelchair agents. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 This might be a two-step process, of course, with the next custodians initially coming in as minority partners. — Matt Slater, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Today, fifth-generation Fiorentinos are the custodians of this old-world, grandest of grand hotels, nearing its 200th anniversary. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 Many of them had saved money while toiling as farmworkers, cooks, custodians and construction workers. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 Every year Jim Evans faces the challenge of keeping health care costs reasonable for the more than 400 teachers, custodians and bus drivers at Concord Community Schools. — Alex Olgin, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for custodians

Noun

So Wingard amicably parted ways with Godzilla’s keepers in order to reconnect with the types of films that first put him on the map.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Of course, some of those saves will have seen ’keepers hold onto the ball or push it out of play, but others will have presented an opportunity for a rebound.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of keepers

Noun

California is set to launch such a database by next summer for school support staff, such as bus drivers and janitors, with substantiated claims of egregious misconduct.

— Holly McDede, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
Landon built relationships with the janitors and grounds crew, always stopping to chat.

— Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of janitors

Noun

The Earl of Nithsdale broke out of the Tower of London by dressing as a lady-in-waiting and slipping past the guards.

— Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Unfortunately, the less said about China’s guards, the better; their main job is to get the ball past half court without turning it over and then feed the bigs.

— Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of guards

Noun

In a role reversal, some children have become their parents' protectors.

— Claudia Boyd-Barrett, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
As silly as White and Enes Kanter Freedom look during their cosplay as protectors of women’s sports, the league still had to acknowledge their foolishness and respond that neither man is eligible for the WNBA draft.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of protectors

Noun

During his testimony, the prosecution produced a spiral notebook in which Clancy had left instructions for caretakers on when to put down the baby, which vegetables to prepare for dinner, how to cut up the sweet potatoes.

— Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
In Manon Coubia’s visually arresting film Forest High, solo caretakers keep the fires burning in a remote Alpine chalet where weary hikers find modest lodgings.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of caretakers

Noun

Wolff then stopped his vehicle and was questioned by wardens.

— David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
The encounter fortunately ended without anyone being injured, but Parks Canada wardens were able to identify the hikers after the video was posted online and racked up millions of views.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of wardens

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“Custodians.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custodians. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of custodians

noun

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