1
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
knights being dressed for battle by their retainers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in employee
one who works for another for wages or a salary
lifelong civil service retainers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retainer
These are common in personal injury cases, because the clients often don’t have the wherewithal to pay a lawyer’s retainer fee in advance.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Sour candy challenges videos are up 81%, while a Swedish sour candy retainer reports 200% annual growth.
—Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Tarazi, a former Republican member of Hilliard City Council, was paid a $9,000 monthly retainer by South Western City Schools under a contract approved by the previous school board.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2026
Izzi noted that Bannister currently has a federal retainer, but did not elaborate on the circumstances.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Sour candy challenges videos are up 81%, while a Swedish sour candy retainer reports 200% annual growth.
—Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Tarazi, a former Republican member of Hilliard City Council, was paid a $9,000 monthly retainer by South Western City Schools under a contract approved by the previous school board.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2026
Izzi noted that Bannister currently has a federal retainer, but did not elaborate on the circumstances.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retainer
Noun
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That made kid gloves the perfect choice for a servant handling fine silverware, where even a fingerprint could spoil the dinner presentation.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
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Making the Fed the servant of the White House would hobble one of the few institutions capable of limiting the overreach of a power-mad president.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, regulatory pressure on Coupang intensified further after the e-commerce giant suffered a data breach perpetrated by a former Chinese employee in November.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
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However, as our employee survey reminds us every year, people are here to serve the mission, and over the last five years our founders and staff have never wavered in their commitment to helping build a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sophie, meanwhile, is a maid at Penwood House.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2026
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In Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s, a young white woman teams up with two Black maids to document the realities of domestic work in segregated households.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One thousand construction workers are set to lose jobs on the tunnel project this weekend as construction winds down for lack of funds.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
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The union ratified a new contract covering 2,400 mental health and addiction medicine employees in Southern California last year, but negotiations continue for Marcucci-Morris and other Northern California mental health workers.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retainer. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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