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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Recent Examples of debutantes
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
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
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The festival is rooted in the story of Lord Krishna, the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is said to have played pranks by splashing maids with water and colors.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
-
It is rooted in the story of Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who played pranks splashing maids with water and colors.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Backstage, a handful of high-spirited elementary-age girls — known as Vista Horizon, a K-pop quintet from K-town — waved to them in awe and offered their congratulations.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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But their inner lives don’t hold shape the way her little girls (and boys) do, with their uncanny dialogue and idiosyncratic observations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Noun
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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
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The mass executions of political prisoners in 1988 are well documented—including the fact that some young women among them were first raped by their guards, on the theologically dubious premise that virgins could not be executed.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Seen on the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ariana Grande, and most recently, Vera Wang, the micro bang was first popularized in the 1950s by film ingenues like Audrey Hepburn.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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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This British production from Hammer Films and director Roy Ward Baker showcases moon maidens, old-fashioned lunar shootouts, buggy chases, and an ex-astronaut turned mercenary salvager trying to snag a 6000-pound sapphire asteroid from orbit for a billionaire industrialist.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debutantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debutantes. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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