1
as in custodians
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner
got a job as the night janitor at the elementary school
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in porters
a person who tends a door
according to popular Christian tradition, St. Peter acts as janitor at heaven's pearly gates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of janitors
Eight Democratic candidates appeared at a forum sponsored by SEIU United Service Workers West, which represents more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport service employees and other workers in California.
—
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Its member organizations include SEIU Healthcare and Locals 1 and 73, representing workers across various industries, including janitors, child care workers, and private security officers and doormen.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
These seasonal park employees are largely paid hourly and hold blue-collar roles, such as janitors, trail workers, electricians, painters, and mechanics.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025
The same workers who keep this country running every single day—home care aides, teachers, bus drivers and janitors who can’t afford to get sick.
—Linda Goler Blount, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Think janitors all the way up to the CEOs that make a hospital hum.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025
Qing Yuan had seen many of these tiny corpses, pinkish, yellowish, tin-gray, curled up, always seemingly asleep, tossed by janitors into fires outside the building.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Low-wage service workers, including cleaners, janitors, security guards, cafeteria workers and other staffers who keep buildings operating, are often out of luck.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
The great quarterbacks are janitors for organizational messes, smoothing over the cracks and making a bad team look competent for three hours.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Its member organizations include SEIU Healthcare and Locals 1 and 73, representing workers across various industries, including janitors, child care workers, and private security officers and doormen.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
These seasonal park employees are largely paid hourly and hold blue-collar roles, such as janitors, trail workers, electricians, painters, and mechanics.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025
The same workers who keep this country running every single day—home care aides, teachers, bus drivers and janitors who can’t afford to get sick.
—Linda Goler Blount, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Think janitors all the way up to the CEOs that make a hospital hum.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025
Qing Yuan had seen many of these tiny corpses, pinkish, yellowish, tin-gray, curled up, always seemingly asleep, tossed by janitors into fires outside the building.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Low-wage service workers, including cleaners, janitors, security guards, cafeteria workers and other staffers who keep buildings operating, are often out of luck.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
The great quarterbacks are janitors for organizational messes, smoothing over the cracks and making a bad team look competent for three hours.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for janitors
Noun
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The James family plans to travel to K’gari in the coming weeks to attend a smoking ceremony as guests of the island’s traditional custodians.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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Building trust in a market dominated by large custodians was another challenge.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Best known as Travelers Rest’s first craft brewery, this spot is a local favorite popular for its world-class selection of beers, with everything from pale ales to porters.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, the porters, who'd carried all of the 60 Minutes gear up the mountain, had already made it to Base Camp and were headed back down, on to their next job.—
Cecilia Vega,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The siblings have different personalities, according to their keepers; Xiao Xiao is timid while his sister Lei Lei is fearless and adapts to changes quickly.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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Starting Saturday night, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will be staffed by skeleton crews of keepers, veterinarians, and animal commissary workers who prepare animals’ diets in a large, restaurant-grade kitchen.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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According to wardens, a team of trackers spotted the twins on Saturday, with monitoring and protection measures in force to increase their chances of survival.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Forest wardens walk into Kyebi Forest Reserve in the East Akim Municipal district in Ghana.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Investigators claim that the daughter of the unidentified octogenarian trusted Guarino with blank checks meant to be used to pay herself and the other caretakers, as well as cover her disabled mother’s expenses.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The sanctuary serves as a forever home to more than 100 horses, donkeys, ponies and other farm animals, whose caretakers say they were saved from abuse over the years.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Janitors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/janitors. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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