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friars

noun

plural of friar
as in monks

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for friars
  1. monks
  2. mendicants
  3. clerics
  4. preachers
  5. deacons
Noun
  • Two monks sustained serious injuries, and one monk lost part of his leg as a result of the crash.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of monks
Noun
  • Throughout much of Buddhist history, and particularly in Theravada Buddhist contexts, mindfulness and its associated meditation methods have been the purview of mendicants (monks and nuns), who used mindfulness meditation to achieve trance states (jhana) leading to nirvana.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
  • But those states also have Republican governors, who would have raised holy hell if their constituents had been menaced by these roving mobs of mendicants.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 Nov. 2025
Definition of mendicants
Noun
  • Yes, those of us who are both excited and nervous about the promise of AI welcome the prospect of kings and clerics and populist politicians alike standing up to the tech lords — who, frankly, could use some perspectives other than their own.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In Iraq, the faction earned rebukes from clerics who had previously supported global jihad as well as from more mainstream religious leaders.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of clerics
Noun
  • People of faith often embraced his work, and preachers sometimes cited it in sermons.
    — Courier Journal staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Politicians and preachers denounced them for blasphemy, perversion, and their loud support for civil rights.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of preachers
Noun
  • Corle, 59, is one of the church deacons and works at nearby Eielson Air Force Base.
    — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Church deacons want it to be called Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, its previous name.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of deacons
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Friars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friars. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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