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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for janitors
Noun
-
Of the 221 positions being cut — which include paraeducators, assistants, clerks, custodians, special-education staff, food service staff and more — 88 are already vacant, the district said.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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Classified employees — or non-teaching staff who support school operations such instructional aids, paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers and bus drivers — will not hold a collective sympathy strike, although individual members are legally allowed to do so.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
People jostled across the steps as porters maneuvered carts and tourists paused for photos.—
Vic O'Sullivan,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Fierce sunlight bleaching the stones of the old city, blinding the passengers as porters in white kaffiyehs and djellabas stack their portmanteaus on donkey carts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to the view, the museum includes belongings, photos and memories of the lighthouse keepers and their families.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Other record keepers are warming up to the private markets push, according to people familiar with their thinking.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As state corrections director, Franzen ordered a shakedown at Stateville and fired two wardens at the facility in an effort to root out corruption.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Many of her works place a child at the center of the scene among family, friends and caretakers, who usually appear shadow-like at the edges of the paintings.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Suitable for kids ages 2 to 5 with their caretakers.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Janitors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/janitors. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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