1
as in servants
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 laborers
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 labors
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 slaves
Andrew R. Chow, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
My maternal grandfather, Frederick Douglas Fisher—both of his parents were slaves.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
The Supreme Court was a particular target of Lincoln, who, along with other young members of the Republican Party, was still angered by the Court for the infamous Dred Scott decision in 1857 which declared that slaves were not American citizens.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Historians estimate up to 45,000 slaves passed through Detroit on the Underground Railroad.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Our executive producers in Senegal found a cave on Gorée Island, a famous site known as one of the last places where slaves were held before being sent to the New World.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2026
Originally a Dutch vessel, the Zorg had been captured by a British captain and heavily overloaded with slaves.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Jan. 2026
In the subsequent testimony, Médor claimed that the only way to stop these poisonings was for enslavers to stop promising slaves their estate would free them after their death.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Edith Renfrow Smith, the granddaughter of slaves, died at the age of 111.
—Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
Spain brought the crop to the island in the 1500s and set up massive plantations manned by slaves.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
My maternal grandfather, Frederick Douglas Fisher—both of his parents were slaves.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
The Supreme Court was a particular target of Lincoln, who, along with other young members of the Republican Party, was still angered by the Court for the infamous Dred Scott decision in 1857 which declared that slaves were not American citizens.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Historians estimate up to 45,000 slaves passed through Detroit on the Underground Railroad.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Our executive producers in Senegal found a cave on Gorée Island, a famous site known as one of the last places where slaves were held before being sent to the New World.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2026
Originally a Dutch vessel, the Zorg had been captured by a British captain and heavily overloaded with slaves.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Jan. 2026
In the subsequent testimony, Médor claimed that the only way to stop these poisonings was for enslavers to stop promising slaves their estate would free them after their death.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Edith Renfrow Smith, the granddaughter of slaves, died at the age of 111.
—Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaves
Noun
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But Season Four takes viewers to lower-class settings like the bars where scullery maids and footmen relax, the markets where house staff shop, even the secret drawing rooms where servants eat their breakfast and discuss town gossip.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2026
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Among these servants are ones who pass laws to make my life a bit safer or just.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Eva and Franco Mattes’s installation BEFNOED, 2014–, and Martin Le Chevallier’s video Clickworkers, 2017, for example, both foreground digital laborers’ perspectives, the global scale of crowdworking systems, and the repetitive, sometimes traumatizing, nature of the work.—
Farren Fei Yuan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Today’s retail market is flooded with clothing manufactured overseas with synthetic materials, sometimes made by laborers in poor working conditions.—
Skye Goode,
Outdoor Life,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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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Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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The incident, which released flammable hydrocarbons, injured four workers and forced 14 schools into lockdown.—
Jasmine Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As luxury struggles to woo a young generation of consumers who have not yet accumulated enough wealth to drop five figures on a handbag, the cohort of twentysomethings has instead become enamored with more affordable fitness activities.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Karlic also struggles with strictly online classes, further limiting his options.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The organization, which strives to provide services to anyone who needs them, would almost certainly have to reduce hours or possibly even close clinics.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
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While it is not accredited, the IPS strives to be no less rigorous or critical than the programs that seek such validation.—
Catherine Taft,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The average American now works about four years longer than during the 1980s, according to Gallup polling.—
Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Containing everyday shoes is one of the trickiest feats in a home, but a system that works for the whole family keeps the chaos contained.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaves. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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