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
Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.
—
Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Occupations such as construction laborers, janitors, electricians, barbers, and bartenders, may largely be in the clear, whereas accountants, office clerks, customer service reps, and software developers could be the hardest hit.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
The documents also detail the scale of the personnel required to build and manage the temporary lock-up, from janitors to laundry workers to cooks, translators to legal case managers to IT staff.
—Kate Payne, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
Jobs, like cashiers and janitors, are least exposed to AI, while secretaries and administrative assistants are most impacted, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
News of the layoffs comes after NBC 5 Chicago reported last week that nine of 21 City Hall janitors would be laid off.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
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
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
Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Occupations such as construction laborers, janitors, electricians, barbers, and bartenders, may largely be in the clear, whereas accountants, office clerks, customer service reps, and software developers could be the hardest hit.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
The documents also detail the scale of the personnel required to build and manage the temporary lock-up, from janitors to laundry workers to cooks, translators to legal case managers to IT staff.
—Kate Payne, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
Jobs, like cashiers and janitors, are least exposed to AI, while secretaries and administrative assistants are most impacted, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
News of the layoffs comes after NBC 5 Chicago reported last week that nine of 21 City Hall janitors would be laid off.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for janitors
Noun
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Athletic coaches, people responding to emergencies, people supervising inmates, custodians, and people helping children who need bathroom assistance get a pass.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Markups apply to the metals themselves, while IRA fees cover account setup, administration and storage through third-party custodians and depositories.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That’s the day after the four-year-old contract expires for nearly 34,000 doormen, porters and maintenance workers.—
Michelle Kaske,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
-
With models trailed by porters toting handfuls of monogrammed luggage?—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Halliday, a defender, found himself in the keepers box where a solid cross found him.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
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Two snakes brought to her school for a Lyceum program got out of their glass boxes, sending students scrambling to stand on chairs, keepers racing to find the creatures, and teachers trying to hustle kids out of the auditorium.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The state wardens and other cops who knew and worked with Bob Markle weren’t just honoring his memory by attending his funeral.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Armas said the prison wardens never switched off the lights.—
Manuel Rueda,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Lamont administration has also argued that the program actually creates a burden for some enrollees, who are responsible for recruiting their own caretakers and may find that overwhelming.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The new owners see themselves as caretakers.—
Abby Dodge,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Janitors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/janitors. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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