1
as in servants
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 employees
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 retainers
Most of the contracts are retainers — with the lobbying firms receiving an equal payment each quarter.
—
Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Domestically, Roosevelt’s progressive reforms—breaking up dozens of monopolies, modifying railroad rates, setting aside public lands for conservation—cut against the long run of industrial oligarchy enjoyed by assorted oil, timber, and coal kings in collusion with their congressional retainers.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
How To Improve Your Soil's Moisture Retention A short-term solution for small areas or containers with hydrophobic soil is a commercial wetting agent, often called water retainers or penetrants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Old Hamlet’s retainers acquired crumbling public housing estates turning out occupants enabling them to build showy apartments for cash buyers.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Or, Wu suggested, instead of opting for clear plastic aligners, a person could get metal braces or retainers.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Avoiding flat retainers and aligning SOWs to key outcomes will be highly respected by an investor who has operational expertise.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Domestically, Roosevelt’s progressive reforms—breaking up dozens of monopolies, modifying railroad rates, setting aside public lands for conservation—cut against the long run of industrial oligarchy enjoyed by assorted oil, timber, and coal kings in collusion with their congressional retainers.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
How To Improve Your Soil's Moisture Retention A short-term solution for small areas or containers with hydrophobic soil is a commercial wetting agent, often called water retainers or penetrants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Old Hamlet’s retainers acquired crumbling public housing estates turning out occupants enabling them to build showy apartments for cash buyers.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Or, Wu suggested, instead of opting for clear plastic aligners, a person could get metal braces or retainers.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Avoiding flat retainers and aligning SOWs to key outcomes will be highly respected by an investor who has operational expertise.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retainers
Noun
-
The journalists who rushed to the scene managed to jot down the names of about a dozen—the VIPs (there were three members of parliament on the train that day, which was a factor in the disaster) and a couple of servants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Some of the girls were hired as servants in the homes of higher-status Burghers, though Rustin refused on principle to consider it.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Universities have long balked at the idea that their athletes are employees in some way.—
ANDREW DESTIN,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That measure, pushed by SEIU-UHW, a labor union representing many of the state’s health care workers, would impose a 5% tax on people with $1 billion or more in assets.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
An analysis by the National Association of Home Builders estimates tens of thousands of homes aren't being completed because there aren't enough workers.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retainers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retainers. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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