1
as in student
one who attends a school
generally there are 20 pupils in each class
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
to pupils of the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, the shores of Walden Pond are hallowed ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pupil
Woods’ eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils were dilated and his movements were slow and lethargic, the incident report from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The puppet wore a black judicial robe and had glistening eyes with slit pupils.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
Haithcock described a grim landscape of inadequate per-pupil funding at a time when funding for local public schools is being rerouted to private school vouchers and independent charter schools.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Christina Kay’s naive attachment to Fascist Italy formed a significant strand in her recreation as the high-spirited Jean Brodie in her brilliant pupil’s sixth and best-known work of fiction, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961).
—Miranda Seymour, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pupil
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The puppet wore a black judicial robe and had glistening eyes with slit pupils.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
Haithcock described a grim landscape of inadequate per-pupil funding at a time when funding for local public schools is being rerouted to private school vouchers and independent charter schools.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Christina Kay’s naive attachment to Fascist Italy formed a significant strand in her recreation as the high-spirited Jean Brodie in her brilliant pupil’s sixth and best-known work of fiction, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961).
—Miranda Seymour, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pupil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pupil
Noun
-
Mariam explained that she’d been admitted to Bronx Science through a program called Discovery, for students from disadvantaged backgrounds whose test scores fell just below the school’s cutoff line.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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The proposal would allow schools that already have student-athlete drug testing programs to also include nicotine in those screenings.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Leftism thus constitutes an ongoing search for new causes to fight on behalf of, in a way that mobilizes adherents and creates solidarity among them.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Both romantic trends have adherents who spin their retreat from status quo romance as a kind of liberation from modern expectations, and who position their marital arrangement as the logical extension of a deeper political project.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those scarring years as a scholar and apprentice at Norwich are part of the motivation behind Mitchell’s new venture, Edge Futures.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Ann McColl, a constitutional scholar and former general counsel for the North Carolina Association of Educators, suggested the issues Leandro addressed may be in North Carolina courts again.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This egalitarian, crate-digging ethos makes a lot of sense next to MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt, who’ve fostered years of goodwill from uplifting their own disciples.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
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Oh my, Cori, this being a legacy triumph for coach Cori Close, a John Wooden disciple who led through thoughtful motivation instead of mindless screaming.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For his followers, blaspheming the Holocaust and celebrating Hitler became a way to signal contempt for the political religion of postwar liberalism.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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In the Christian faith, the lamb is symbolic of innocence and the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for his followers.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pupil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pupil. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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