1
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
knights being dressed for battle by their retainers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 retainer
In a more porous era, he might have been kept on lavish retainer by a Medici.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retainer
Noun
-
Lawyer and TikToker Reb Masel emphasized that the case is but one in a long list of lawsuits over parody, freedom of speech, and the rights of public figures and servants compared to those of private citizens.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Nozomi Kato, who beautifully sings the loyal servant Suzuki, offers a quietly moving performance.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Even higher-profile employees-turned-critics were ex-Defense Secretary James Mattis and former White House chief of staff John Kelly.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
State employees were granted a day off and schools were required to teach students about his legacy and his involvement in the labor movement in California.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One former chef later told federal investigators how Epstein would take a girl to his master bedroom every hour, and after his massage, the maids would go make the bed and clean up.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Their friendship is put to the test when Ayman meets Sara, the daughter of a wealthy family, for whom his mother works as a maid.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The rupture occurred as the agency was wrapping up major infrastructure upgrades at the facility, injuring one worker and prompting a Yuba River conservation group to report that hundreds, and possibly thousands, of young Chinook salmon were stranded and died in the rocks along the shore.—
Chaewon Chung
March 13,
Sacbee.com,
14 Mar. 2026
-
They got married, had a daughter, and moved out of the housing that Looney was required to provide to his foreign workers into their own house on Route 61, the famous blues highway.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retainer. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
