1
as in slave
a person who is considered the property of another person
I'm not your thrall, so you'll have to pick up after yourself
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2
as in slavery
the state of being an enslaved person
a people who still bear the scars of having been in thrall for so many years
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Recent Examples of thrall
From the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and even Fox News, nearly all the country’s major newsrooms are in the thrall of this vision of politics, devoting untold amounts of energy to technocratic commentary and polling.
—
Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Even in the 19th century, the novel was considered a dangerous medium, one that would trap people—especially impressionable young women—in the thrall of isolation and fantasy.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Hedda’s magnetism is undeniable, and that people would be under her thrall is understandable.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
Like, why does everyone under Gladys' thrall run the same way, with wild eyes and their arms jutting out sharply to the side?
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thrall
Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Even in the 19th century, the novel was considered a dangerous medium, one that would trap people—especially impressionable young women—in the thrall of isolation and fantasy.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Hedda’s magnetism is undeniable, and that people would be under her thrall is understandable.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
Like, why does everyone under Gladys' thrall run the same way, with wild eyes and their arms jutting out sharply to the side?
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thrall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrall
Noun
-
During the colonial era, slaves were forcibly baptized here before being sold.—
Mathew Schmalz,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The fears of robot uprising, from his perspective, are essentially the fears of slave revolt, of the working class seizing the means of production.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Steven Spielberg’s biopic stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the nation’s 16th president during his quest to end the Civil War and abolish slavery.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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These settlements represented a direct challenge to Spanish colonial rule, as their inhabitants organized systems of defense and actively resisted slavery and European domination.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thrall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrall. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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