1
as in colonists
a person who settles in a new region
settlers learning to live in peace with the natives
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2
as in immigrants
one that leaves one place to settle in another
in 1889 Jane Addams, in an effort to provide Chicago's latest wave of settlers with much-needed services, founded the city's first settlement house
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Recent Examples of settlers
New Mexico More than half of Route 66 cuts through sovereign Native American lands, often tracing routes used by tribes long before settlers arrived.
—
Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Named for the Kiawah people who called this island home when British settlers first arrived in 1670, Kiawah Island fronts the Atlantic with ten miles of beach.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
Also present on the land in the 1800s were the descendants of Spanish settlers.
—Anna Alejo, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
The lighthouse was attacked by Indians during the second Seminole War in July 1836, in which early settlers were driven out of the Miami area.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
As settlers moved into the area and took tribal lands near the river for farming, the Bindjareb resorted to taking the settlers’ crops and spearing their cattle for food.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
These white settlers came in successive waves.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Spring Valley Nature Preserve offers a dozen easy hiking trails through the forest and along Salt Run, a trickling creek that was used by early settlers for salt production.
—Midwest Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Eyewitnesses said Israeli settlers set fire to homes, farming sheds and vehicles.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Named for the Kiawah people who called this island home when British settlers first arrived in 1670, Kiawah Island fronts the Atlantic with ten miles of beach.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
Also present on the land in the 1800s were the descendants of Spanish settlers.
—Anna Alejo, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
The lighthouse was attacked by Indians during the second Seminole War in July 1836, in which early settlers were driven out of the Miami area.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
As settlers moved into the area and took tribal lands near the river for farming, the Bindjareb resorted to taking the settlers’ crops and spearing their cattle for food.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
These white settlers came in successive waves.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Spring Valley Nature Preserve offers a dozen easy hiking trails through the forest and along Salt Run, a trickling creek that was used by early settlers for salt production.
—Midwest Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Eyewitnesses said Israeli settlers set fire to homes, farming sheds and vehicles.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settlers
Noun
-
Portugal and Germany in Southern Africa For much of the 19th century, Portuguese colonists in Angola and Mozambique were fewer in number and weaker in authority than those in the interior of South Africa.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The aiyi have sent an emissary to Scythia, who will determine whether the colonists deserve to survive.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But especially for a child of immigrants with absolutely no ties to this industry or access points, getting to the next step over the past several years was so difficult.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The state has the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which requires immigrants to present identity and lawful status documents before receiving a license.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Schilling Elementary School in Newark is packed with young pioneers, willing to get their hands dirty.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Time and time again, pioneers of new platforms have also bought up content and influenced conversations about those platforms.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And in South Florida groups have stepped in to support migrants navigating complicated immigration processes, from deportation to self-deportation, often filling gaps left by government systems.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The access comes after a federal judge earlier this week allowed clergy members from the Chicago area to minister to migrants in the facility during Holy Week and Easter.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the ‘70s and ‘80s, large numbers of Laotian and Hmong emigrants arrived, fleeing the persecution that followed the Vietnam War.—
David Farley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The book looked at the world of Bad Bridgets, a swath of Irish women emigrants that were deemed troublemakers, noting that for a time Irish women outnumbered Irish men in prison.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The change in eligibility requirements comes from federal policy updates barring certain asylees, refugees, parolees, individuals with deportation or removal withheld, conditional entrants and victims of trafficking from accessing Cal Fresh, according to the Department of Public Social Services.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The tightening of the reins in the British Mandate for Palestine comes as Adolf Hitler and Germany invade Poland, triggering the beginnings of World War II, and as Jewish refugees fleeing persecution begin entering the region.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Settlers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settlers. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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