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
The retainer was for $50,000 a month.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Attorney Justin Smith will lead attorneys doing the work, who will be paid up to $450 per hour, according to a retainer agreement provided by the House.
—Stacey Barchenger, AZCentral.com, 2 Feb. 2026
His work spans the Alternative department as well as the agency’s brand retainer clients.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
But, shoppers without a glam team on retainer are impressed, too.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Attorney Justin Smith will lead attorneys doing the work, who will be paid up to $450 per hour, according to a retainer agreement provided by the House.
—Stacey Barchenger, AZCentral.com, 2 Feb. 2026
His work spans the Alternative department as well as the agency’s brand retainer clients.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
But, shoppers without a glam team on retainer are impressed, too.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retainer
Noun
-
Benedict must pretend his new addition to his mother's household is nothing more to him than a servant.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
-
An army of college servants swept river silt from the courtyards.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Relatives can give up to $5,000 per year to the accounts, and companies can give their employees and employees' children $2,500.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The Zalando prize money helped Gassanoff pay his rent, keep his one employee and two interns, produce the next collection, and compensate the artisans who made it.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Helen's illiterate mother, who worked as a maid for an affluent white family, poured all her hopes into her single angel of a daughter.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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As teens, boys apprenticed on farms or with artisans, and girls as dairy maids.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
First, famed filmmaker James Cameron endorsed Paramount, saying a Netflix takeover would lead to massive job losses in the entertainment industry, which is already reeling from a production slowdown in Southern California that has disrupted the lives of thousands of film industry workers.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The Labor Department published a rule Friday that would undo egregious attempts during the last administration to classify more workers as employees rather than independent contractors.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retainer. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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