as in girl
a young unmarried woman
knights are celebrated in fairy tales for rescuing damsels in distress
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Recent Examples of damsel
A little over a decade ago, actresses in these kind of movies were handcuffed to the role of the damsel in distress.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Not for one second does Lepard’s script reduce Zephyr to a mere damsel in distress.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2025
Sittin there trapped in a tower like the damsel that failed.
—Sidik Fofana, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
And Matt Murdock can’t be a damsel in distress or anything close to it for too long.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damsel
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Not for one second does Lepard’s script reduce Zephyr to a mere damsel in distress.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2025
Sittin there trapped in a tower like the damsel that failed.
—Sidik Fofana, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
And Matt Murdock can’t be a damsel in distress or anything close to it for too long.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damsel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damsel
Noun
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Unlike the Panthère—crowned the it girl watch of the 2020s—or the Tank Française, with its royal pedigree, the Demoiselle remained overlooked.—
Malaika Crawford,
Vogue,
13 Sep. 2025
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The track is credited to fictional girl group Huntr/x, as well as the three women who actually perform as the characters in the movie, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Hernandez rode 18 of Baffert’s 24 winners, including eight wins in 2-year-old maiden races.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Sep. 2025
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Brant, the $3 million 2-year-old whose maiden victory in July produced a 101 Beyer speed figure, the best by a horse his age in 2025; Balboa, third to Brant in that maiden race; Desert Gate, 2 for 2 after winning the Best Pal Stakes, and Litmus Test, an $875,000 yearling who won first time out.—
Kevin Modesti,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chastain portrayed Celia Foote in the drama based on Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name about a white journalist chronicling the lives of Black maids working for white households in 1960s Mississippi.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ella Beaty will play Lizzie, while Rebecca Hall will play Lizzie’s stepmother, Abby, and Vicky Krieps will play Bridget Sullvan, a maid in the Borden household.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damsel. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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