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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slave
Brendan Frizzell, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
John Shippen was a child of former slaves who found his way onto a golf course and made history there.
—Otis Livingston, CBS News, 27 Feb. 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
Meanwhile, the many Afro Panamanians already living in the country, whose descendants had been trafficked as slaves, spoke Spanish.
—Brendan Frizzell, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
John Shippen was a child of former slaves who found his way onto a golf course and made history there.
—Otis Livingston, CBS News, 27 Feb. 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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Sadly, Bridgerton has provided no evidence that Alfie has yet capitalized on his many obvious talents, and apparently the servants can barely spend 45 minutes in the market without their employers jumping down their throats.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
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Kratos began as a Spartan warrior and a servant of Ares, the Greek god of war.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
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The voices captured on that wall belong not to emperors or senators, but to lovers, laborers, sports fans, and artists who left their marks in a corridor between two theaters, never imagining those marks would still be read 2,000 years later.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Imagine living in the dictatorship of North Korea, hungry all the time, laboring for no pay.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Mar. 2026
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Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Cole works in the office of a bail bondsman in northern Virginia, the charging document states.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Aid workers are delivering food, water, shelter, and medical and mental health care, among other services.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Noah Nelson, a professor at the California Institute of the Arts and founder of immersive arts publication No Proscenium, said Actors’ Equity’s recognition of the Basement’s workers is a step in the right direction as the union welcomes more nontraditional units.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Deeper challenges China's policy announcements will be scrutinized for details on consumer stimulus, such as expanding trade-in subsidies, and any incremental support for the struggling property market.—
Evelyn Cheng,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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With human civilization still struggling to find our way through our technological infancy, does this new study actually predict humanity’s demise?—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Harry, whose proper name was Henry, spent 19 years as Fordham’s chattel.—
Eugene Robinson,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus, bio-hacked tech bros, AI labs and disillusioned teens being optimized in elite private schools, an audacious data-mining CEO (Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2026
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And while striving for excellence is admirable, ballet’s obsession with excellence can make for a less-than-welcoming environment for those who just want to do it for fun.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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