NAVVY Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

navvy

noun

Definition of navvy

chiefly British

as in laborer

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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 navvy Several thousand navvies worked on the railway, living in makeshift camps, and many died in accidents, or from exposure and disease in the bitterly cold winters. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for navvy

Noun

Built in 1610 by Spanish and Indigenous laborers, the church was destroyed in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt that drove Spanish colonizers out of the region for 12 years.

— Dan Fellner, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Even though public schooling became compulsory in 1896, the language barrier and the remote location of many plantations led to gaps in access to these laborers’ formal education.

— H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of laborer

Noun

In practical terms, the study suggests a preference for agentic AI to simplify drudge work and logistics, such as narrowing choices or suggesting better options, rather than taking full control of emotionally loaded or high-complexity decisions.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Although free labor can help a candidate win, volunteers are also seen as a source of risk, best restricted to such drudge work as phone banking or door knocking.

— Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Definition of drudge

Noun

Mitchell Cole, Akira Jackson, Noah Tot and Phinehas Yoon star as recent grads on a late night drive for grub, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Their larvae, called grubs, often feast on the organic matter in compost.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of grub

Noun

Gutierrez on Monday in Palm Beach County court pleaded not guilty to charges of operating as an unlicensed money service business, organized scheme to defraud and workman’s compensation fraud, court records show.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
The day shift also starts making factory-work jokes, with Rekha playing a perky do-bee who just wants to make the boss happy, and Lily adopting an agitator role, demanding workman’s comp and trying to spark revolt.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026

Definition of workman

Noun

What was once a workingman’s district is now River North, a polished landscape of galleries, luxury apartments and expense-account dining.

— David Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Company founder Leo Fender and his group of California guitar-makers debuted the Telecaster in 1951 as a durable workingman’s guitar.

— Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026

Definition of workingman

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navvies

navvy

navy

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Style

“Navvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navvy. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of navvy

noun

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