1
as in servant
a person who is considered the property of another person
many American slaves reached freedom in the North through the network known as the Underground Railroad
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work
unappreciated office slaves who perform the necessary but tedious task of filing paperwork
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
slaving over a hot stove
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slave
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
The massive structure was built between 1805 and 1820 by thousands of former slaves, and stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Defined by exhaustion from slaving away at the ironing board while confronting the latest family crisis, Angela is quite capable of whipping up baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise for all and functions as a wise-cracking, big-hearted den mother.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slave
Noun
And why doesn't the slave run from one plantation to another plantation because the master over there might be nicer!
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
The massive structure was built between 1805 and 1820 by thousands of former slaves, and stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
After two years away on loan while Leeds were slaving away in the second tier, the winger has returned to find his old No 11 shirt in Brenden Aaronson’s possession.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Defined by exhaustion from slaving away at the ironing board while confronting the latest family crisis, Angela is quite capable of whipping up baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise for all and functions as a wise-cracking, big-hearted den mother.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slave
Noun
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By reaching into the past, the California government acts as ruler rather than as a servant.—
Robertas Bakula,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And in between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the independent committee supporting Coyne is backed by Local 89, a laborers union, Crosby has been endorsed by the city’s largest labor union — the Municipal Employees Association — and the region’s largest labor organization, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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Only a few years ago, Black farm workers in the Delta settled lawsuits over claims white laborers from South Africa were paid more for the same work.—
Drew Hawkins,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Ray had to labor through the first three innings, the left-hander only needed 12 pitches in the fourth and 11 pitches in the fifth to complete five frames.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bail bondsman Ira Judelson secured the bond for his release.—
Mark Prussin,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
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In Florida, a defendant usually pays 10% of the total bond amount to a bondsman to bail out of jail.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This cost is nominally shared between employers and employees, but workers bear the real burden through both paycheck deductions and forgone wages.—
Jordan Bruneau,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Research published last year on Japanese nursing homes found that robot adoption reduced worker quit rates and was associated with better care quality.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The contestants struggled mighty hard with the songs.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
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Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These are human beings, not chattel.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Before meeting Rael-Gálvez, Daria Celeste Landress had learned while researching her family history that three Indigenous ancestors had been listed in historical documents as chattel, alongside furniture, houses, and trees.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Tampa Bay Rays are still striving for a Hillsborough County stadium vote in May, the team informed the county late last week.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
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Add in Michael’s goth love interest, Star (Maria Wirries), and the musical strives to capture some of the cult appeal of the source musical, the plot of which David Hornsby and Chris Hoch’s book follows closely with one notable change.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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