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
Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 May 2026
Sojourner Truth, a former slave who had escaped to freedom and become an advocate for the rights of Black Americans and women, spoke at the first meeting of the American Equal Rights Association in New York.
—USA Today, 6 May 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
Trump is, however, no slave to convention, especially considering the ugly optics of postponing the trip a second time.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 May 2026
Sojourner Truth, a former slave who had escaped to freedom and become an advocate for the rights of Black Americans and women, spoke at the first meeting of the American Equal Rights Association in New York.
—USA Today, 6 May 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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The items included a double-breasted waistcoat and a black silk neckerchief tied in a bowknot, more indicative of what would be worn by a steward or officer’s servant, as well as a clothes brush.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
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My agenda will raise people’s standard of living and expectations of the public servant.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
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The region has some of the world’s longest working hours, with laborers there often clocking more than 2,000 hours a year compared to around 1,700 in the US, and close to 1,400 in Germany.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
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All of this is thrilling news for the literary laborer.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Imagine a place of employment where everyone in the building is laboring to live out their childhood dream.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
10 May 2026
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Just three had received fewer innings per game from their starters, increasing the burden on a bullpen laboring under the strain.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Kim Kardashian, who has advocated for prison reform, paid the bondsman to have Glossip released, her publicist told The Oklahoman.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Bail bondsman Ira Judelson secured the bond for his release.—
Mark Prussin,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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An afternoon stroll with Oscar (Diego Calva), who begins as Arlo’s social worker and becomes Peter’s love interest, is invitingly honey-colored in the sunlight, while a druggy nightclub hookup devolves into a dreamy blur of body parts.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Others are alive with the sound of hammers and saws, as workers frame new construction.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
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In April, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo proved to be an effective outlet as Chelsea struggled to cope with their pace.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Family members said Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress following her detention.—
Jade le Deley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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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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Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was always expected to live a quiet life — but she’s sent on an entirely different path when her mother, a general in the military, orders her to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become dragon riders, the elite of Navarre.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Vision Zero is the initiative striving to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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