as in sheep
an innocent or gentle person
the new guys at football camp were lambs who hardly knew what awaited them
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 lambs
Kimberlee Kerns’s family has lost hundreds of sheep and cattle to wolves since 2009; the animals that survive tend to gain less weight and conceive fewer lambs and calves.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
According to the restaurant’s website, McDonald and Alexander now live on a 5-acre farm near Auburn, raising lambs, growing native crops and parenting their daughter, Josie.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
As cattle, lambs, hogs and goats weave through the show ring at The National Western Stock Show, longtime auctioneer John Korrey calls rapid-fire bids, his voice driving thousands of dollars in sales while keeping the crowd on edge.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
One wonders if Christ, who stormed the temple shouting that the Lord demands mercy, not sacrifice, freeing lambs and goats meant for ritual slaughter, would cheer bruin thrill killing.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in mammals like cows, pigs and lambs.
—NPR, 15 Nov. 2025
Hermann Nitsch crucified lambs and bulls, and Joseph Beuys attempted cohabitation with a coyote.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
The family raised turkeys, lambs, geese and chicken.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Some will welcome it; there is certainly an argument that the attempts to imitate Guardiola’s style, playing from the back against high-class opponents with a plan to press them into mistakes, led to some coaches leading their teams like lambs to the slaughter.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
According to the restaurant’s website, McDonald and Alexander now live on a 5-acre farm near Auburn, raising lambs, growing native crops and parenting their daughter, Josie.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
As cattle, lambs, hogs and goats weave through the show ring at The National Western Stock Show, longtime auctioneer John Korrey calls rapid-fire bids, his voice driving thousands of dollars in sales while keeping the crowd on edge.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
One wonders if Christ, who stormed the temple shouting that the Lord demands mercy, not sacrifice, freeing lambs and goats meant for ritual slaughter, would cheer bruin thrill killing.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in mammals like cows, pigs and lambs.
—NPR, 15 Nov. 2025
Hermann Nitsch crucified lambs and bulls, and Joseph Beuys attempted cohabitation with a coyote.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
The family raised turkeys, lambs, geese and chicken.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Some will welcome it; there is certainly an argument that the attempts to imitate Guardiola’s style, playing from the back against high-class opponents with a plan to press them into mistakes, led to some coaches leading their teams like lambs to the slaughter.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lambs
Noun
-
Among his promises were government imports of 144,000 sheep and 46,000 cattle to make meat more accessible for Ramadan meals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Before the fire at Fine Oak Farms, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that other barn fires in Ohio this year killed 162 sheep, horses, cows, chickens, and other animals.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Out back on the patio, a pair of angels cry red blood tears into a fountain, skeletons escape their open coffins and a hooded skull peers over the tables like a Gordon Ramsay grim reaper.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
As for angels with a devil-may-care attitude, this new Gucci is also represented by it girl Sydney Lynn Carlson and rapper Fakemink (who both walked in the show too) as well as photographer Nadia Lee Cohen and director Aidan Zamiri, the director of Charli XCX’s The Moment.—
Sofia Viganò,
Vogue,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In a key scene, the innocents jump back and forth between dinner parties playing out at the same time despite taking place on successive nights.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The J6ers were not insurrectionists, traitors, and miscreants but patriots, heroes, and innocents.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lambs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lambs. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
