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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of slave
John Wrory Ficklin, Time, 11 Feb. 2026
Scholars have argued that the proximity of Liverpool — one of the biggest slave ports at the time in which Wuthering Heights is set — to the Brontës’ home in Haworth cannot be overlooked.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 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
My grandfather, Strother Ficklin, was born a slave in about 1854.
—John Wrory Ficklin, Time, 11 Feb. 2026
Scholars have argued that the proximity of Liverpool — one of the biggest slave ports at the time in which Wuthering Heights is set — to the Brontës’ home in Haworth cannot be overlooked.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 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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That made kid gloves the perfect choice for a servant handling fine silverware, where even a fingerprint could spoil the dinner presentation.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
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Making the Fed the servant of the White House would hobble one of the few institutions capable of limiting the overreach of a power-mad president.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Few accessories are so simple as the beanie, whose provenance can be traced back to a simple woolen cap worn by laborers in the late Medieval period.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
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Just 36 hours later, the slave laborers and Berger-Moran, newly born, were loaded onto open coal wagons — filthy and open to the skies.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the novel opens in Florence, in 1557, the body of the painter Jacopo da Pontormo lies in the chapel of San Lorenzo—in front of the frescoes he’d labored over for a decade, with a painter’s chisel stuck in his heart.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
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Aster didn’t micromanage as Tracy labored over the script and suffered a bout of COVID during lockdown.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cole works in the office of a bail bondsman in northern Virginia, the charging document states.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
5 Dec. 2025
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Plus, bail bondsmen are the ultimate local rent seekers.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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At least three people died and nearly two dozen others were injured after a building used as temporary lodgings for workers caught fire early Friday in a suburb of Hungary's capital, authorities said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The warrant for Silva-Parucho, a construction worker with a pending asylum application and valid employment authorization, was therefore invalid, the judge ruled.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Buehler struggled in Boston, but looked good enough during his brief time with the Phillies to generate interest from the Padres and other teams.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Fefferman questioned why board members and the public have struggled to obtain detailed financial information.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Harry, whose proper name was Henry, spent 19 years as Fordham’s chattel.—
Eugene Robinson,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
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Patriarchal cultures reduce women to economic dependence, treating them as a form of chattel to be traded among families.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This year’s cohort of activists, while quieter than in the past as a result of the ongoing hostilities, is striving to amplify the voices suppressed and introduce emerging artists to a wider audience.—
Tina Ahmadi Krol,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Bureau strives to complete all 311 requests within five days.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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