debutantes

plural of debutante
as in maids
a young upper-class woman who has begun going to special parties where she will meet and be seen by other people from the upper class The invitation-only event is a prized ticket for the city's debutantes.

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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 debutantes Those that aren’t yet in Tokyo have immediate plans to be, with Waldorf Astoria and Dorchester Collection properties planned for the coming years, joining 2025 debutantes JW Marriott Tokyo and Fairmont Tokyo. Jake Emen, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2026 Cape Verde, Curaçao and Jordan are also among the debutantes. Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 9 June 2026 At balls that approximate what Bridgerton might be like if the charming debutantes were matched with white-haired monsters instead of handsome, age-appropriate nobles, Commanders spike their prospective Wives’ drinks. Judy Berman, Time, 8 Apr. 2026 The building was popular with debutantes. Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026 Like many other balls, the Opera Ball opens with a waltz performed by 160 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young couples, who are referred to as debutantes. Valeriya Safronova, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026 Each year, noteworthy families flock to the famed Hotel Shangri-La in Paris for a formal celebration of the debutantes, who traditionally work with designers to dream up bespoke haute couture gowns. Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025 Even at some of the dressiest Mardi Gras balls in the city, you’re guaranteed to find debutantes and knights alike gathered around a table full of Foosackly’s. Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025 The Mitford sisters, as debutantes, were expected to quietly marry into their class and fade into the woodwork. Mimi Pond, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debutantes
Noun
  • Lee takes early meetings at a nearby hotel that could be in any country, except that the room service is delivered by robots painted in the livery of butlers and maids.
    Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The unsightly mushroom could have corrupted her maids’ morals, or even their health.
    Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • But even as the culture seems fairly concerned with the way famous women look, and the impact these images have on young girls and teenagers, the conversation around men and their body image has been lean.
    José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Internal documents show Meta officials knew that Instagram harmed teen girls and chose not to disclose it.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Public health stats show maybe 5%-10% of those getting married in the United States are virgins at the altar.
    Lauren Green, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
  • How many spells were cast, how many virgins were sacrificed, how many first-borns were murdered so that this could happen?
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • When the Television Academy announced its nominations in July, the story wasn’t about the ingenues.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Actresses who are no longer ingenues make striking appearances, not only in dramas, but also at formal events.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • Ritual gifts include incense, flowers, perfume, cosmetics and soap, which Hor said are believed to bring beauty and charm after being blessed by the cowherd and seven maidens.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Many fans thought the original covers of Pratchett’s novels went too heavy on busty maidens and strapping men with big swords, undermining their literary merit, and a similar problem has beset the various screen adaptations from Sky and the BBC.
    Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026

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“Debutantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debutantes. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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