as in wives
a married woman in charge of a household
She was career-minded and never intended to be a 1950s style housewife.
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Recent Examples of housewives
One of its peak popularity periods was in 1937, when Jewish housewives standardized the game and created the National Mah Jongg League.
—
Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2026
The trailer for the upcoming 17th season of the reality series introduces two new housewives.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2026
Below, a celebration of some of my favorite bad moms from fiction, from the archetypical overbearing suburban Jewish bubbes to horny housewives.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The series was set to begin filming in the spring and follow Zarin and fellow housewives Kelly Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan in South Florida, according to Deadline.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Almutairi said the potential market goes far beyond traditional bank customers, from housewives with informal income, to university students, freelancers, and employees at small businesses who lack access to credit.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the 14-minute Super Afghan Gym is set in a gym in downtown Kabul, which features posters of muscular men on the walls, where a group of housewives come together during the one hour of the day reserved for women.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
In a gym in downtown Kabul, a group of housewives gather during the only hour of the day reserved for women.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Development • Dirty Hands (Lebanon/Qatar) by Georges Hazim and Maya Dagher, a dark comedy, about four desperate housewives who jump at the chance to make some quick cash.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2026
The trailer for the upcoming 17th season of the reality series introduces two new housewives.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2026
Below, a celebration of some of my favorite bad moms from fiction, from the archetypical overbearing suburban Jewish bubbes to horny housewives.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The series was set to begin filming in the spring and follow Zarin and fellow housewives Kelly Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan in South Florida, according to Deadline.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Almutairi said the potential market goes far beyond traditional bank customers, from housewives with informal income, to university students, freelancers, and employees at small businesses who lack access to credit.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the 14-minute Super Afghan Gym is set in a gym in downtown Kabul, which features posters of muscular men on the walls, where a group of housewives come together during the one hour of the day reserved for women.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
In a gym in downtown Kabul, a group of housewives gather during the only hour of the day reserved for women.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Development • Dirty Hands (Lebanon/Qatar) by Georges Hazim and Maya Dagher, a dark comedy, about four desperate housewives who jump at the chance to make some quick cash.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for housewives
Noun
-
Thanks to reclamations like Mary Gabriel’s book Ninth Street Women and retrospectives of their work, Lee and Elaine are better known today as artists than artists’ wives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Their wives are quite different and don’t get along with each other.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After all, many people engage in self-pleasure; many women get their periods; many boys have ejaculated in their sleep.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Cobb said Miller’s campaign targeted older Black women.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Around him sat ten women—all of them homemakers and nurses—and one seven-year-old girl.—
Joshua Sharpe
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Housewives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/housewives. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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