1
as in snakes
a limbless reptile with a long body
an Aztec carving of a feathered serpent representing the god Quetzalcoatl
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2
as in traitors
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
a serpent in their midst had betrayed the revolutionaries to the authorities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of serpents
Those serpents include six rattlesnake species and non-rattlers, such as the Copperhead, Water Moccasin (or Cottonmouth) and Eastern Coral snakes.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Were a lot of serpents biting people in those days.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Frenzied shapes—sparks, ribbons, spirals, glyphs, shadowy crosses, serpents—float among them through an undefined ether, as if transmitting cryptic information.
—Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
The range of the monster drawings included primitive people, giant spiders, serpents, snails and fantastical fish.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Were a lot of serpents biting people in those days.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Frenzied shapes—sparks, ribbons, spirals, glyphs, shadowy crosses, serpents—float among them through an undefined ether, as if transmitting cryptic information.
—Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
The range of the monster drawings included primitive people, giant spiders, serpents, snails and fantastical fish.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serpents
Noun
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White pans over to the eaves and snaps a photo, where a couple of snakes are seen, quite literally hanging out.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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Still, there’s a sense that the story has expanded to fill the space, with plotlines for all and crazy side trips (snakes!—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
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When news of Israel’s secret outposts in Iraq’s desert emerged, Iraqis admonished their leaders as traitors, and the boisterous militiamen affiliated with the government as impostors for allowing their land to be colonized by an enemy.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
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The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dangerous reptiles like cobras, mambas, vipers, anacondas and rattlesnakes are all banned from private ownership.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
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The animal enthusiast has since fished vipers from beneath houses, underneath baby cribs, the inside of dry wall, the back of a refrigerator, a fire department, a Safeway and scores of other spots.—
Kurtis Alexander,
San Francisco Chronicle,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serpents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serpents. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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