1
as in snakes
a limbless reptile with a long body
an Aztec carving of a feathered serpent representing the god Quetzalcoatl
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of serpents
Dark-orange lines, like heavy serpents, stripe the sands, gray rivers stripe the sands.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 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
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 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
-
Chirring insects, cool eels, darting dice snakes in the Volga delta.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
This April, biologists will return to the field to capture more pregnant snakes whose babies will be born and reared at the zoo.—
Pepper St. Clair,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The play will tell a story inspired by the program’s format, in which a group of faithfuls try to root out the traitors, and will be staged at an unnamed London venue.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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Proceed with caution, faithful readers… The die is cast — the traitors and faithfuls have been chosen, and their clothes are doing the slaying (all puns intended).—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Other shipments sent by Lin included alligator lizards, venomous green tree vipers and palm pit vipers, all protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Now, young people are buying venomous pet vipers.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serpents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serpents. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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