as in cousin
a person connected with another by blood or marriage to protect the family honor, he sought to revenge the murder of his kinsman

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of kinsman Our family grew—from the three siblings left in the wake of our mother’s death—to a bustling bunch of kinsmen redeemers. James T. Farmer, Southern Living, 8 July 2025 Rediscovering his family’s ancestral land centuries after the religious wars forced those kinsmen to flee, our caballero soon steps in to protect a local clan from an oppressive landowner and his abusive henchmen. Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024 At the time of President Lincoln's assassination, my father was in Washington visiting his kinsman, Col. Thomas M. Vincent, who was on the staff of the Adjutant General. Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, 3 Sep. 2020 Women were rewarded for refusing to shelter men, including kinsmen, who were involved in the genocide, and for testifying against their rapists. Rania Abouzeid, National Geographic, 15 Oct. 2019 Their kinsmen, already in the United States, have been vital factors in farm and workshop for generations. Lily Rothman, Time, 20 June 2018 The warriors butchered the people and used the heads of Lewis’s kinsmen as decoration for their belts. Emily Bernard, The New Republic, 19 June 2018 Best of all, Mazibuko believes his friend and kinsman's experiment has worked. Chuck Yarborough, cleveland.com, 21 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinsman
Noun
  • Lepkowski described her cousin's ex as possessive, controlling and physically abusive.
    Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • McKinsey’s Global Survey similarly emphasizes that organizations tracking gen‑AI KPIs outperform cousins still focusing on proofs-of-concept.
    Ian Amit, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • One of my clearest memories from the early 1970s is visiting relatives and sleeping on a pull-out couch in their library.
    Literary Hub September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Miller was hospitalized that same day while her three surviving children were sent to live with relatives.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kinsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kinsman. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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