as in workers
a person who does very hard or dull work
they could only find work as laborers unloading cargo ships
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 laborers
In the Lumière brothers’ short Workers Leaving the Factory (1895), considered by many historians to be the first cinematographic film recording, the onscreen laborers are actually leaving their jobs at the Lumières’ factory, where photographic plates were produced and developed.
—
Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Chiefs or caciques held godlike powers and could order laborers to cultivate land or serve in military encounters.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
But, at large scales, laborers (who themselves are often poorly treated) are often paid by volume and are likely to work as quickly as possible which leads to mistreatment.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Maricopa County deputies, after getting 287(g) certified in 2007, carried out 11 immigration sweeps within five months outside a former furniture store in Phoenix that was a popular gathering spot for laborers.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
All this was built with only basic tools, pack animals and human muscle – the latter supplied by some 9,000 laborers, roughly one-quarter of whom were recent immigrants from Ireland.
—Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
Trump is attacking immigration at both ends of spectrum, deporting low-wage laborers and discouraging skilled foreigners from bringing their talents to the United States.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
This film exposes the harsh contrast between the lives of people who enjoy cutting-edge technology in Silicon Valley and the laborers in the Global South who teach the machines to see.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Finding enough workers to fill open landscaping positions has long been a struggle, even when firms can bring in foreign laborers.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Chiefs or caciques held godlike powers and could order laborers to cultivate land or serve in military encounters.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
But, at large scales, laborers (who themselves are often poorly treated) are often paid by volume and are likely to work as quickly as possible which leads to mistreatment.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Maricopa County deputies, after getting 287(g) certified in 2007, carried out 11 immigration sweeps within five months outside a former furniture store in Phoenix that was a popular gathering spot for laborers.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
All this was built with only basic tools, pack animals and human muscle – the latter supplied by some 9,000 laborers, roughly one-quarter of whom were recent immigrants from Ireland.
—Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
Trump is attacking immigration at both ends of spectrum, deporting low-wage laborers and discouraging skilled foreigners from bringing their talents to the United States.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
This film exposes the harsh contrast between the lives of people who enjoy cutting-edge technology in Silicon Valley and the laborers in the Global South who teach the machines to see.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Finding enough workers to fill open landscaping positions has long been a struggle, even when firms can bring in foreign laborers.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laborers
Noun
-
The airport has put out green donation bins accepting nonperishable food and personal care items for unpaid federal airport workers, according to a social media post from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
-
By law, federal workers are supposed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, but the White House has attempted to cast doubt on that, NPR's Scott Horsley tells Up First.—
NPR,
NPR,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Obviously, that spoke to me, because my ancestors were slaves.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
15 Oct. 2025
-
It was intended to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laborers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laborers. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share