truant 1 of 2

Definition of truantnext
as in absent
not present at a mandatory time and place Her son was suspended after being truant from school a number of times.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

truant

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of truant
Adjective
In Chicago, nearly half of students were considered chronically truant, according to state data. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025 Warren has been able to reduce its percentage of students labeled as habitually truant from 70% — the worst in Marion County — in the 2020-21 school year to 22% last year, according to state data. Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Verb
In Los Angeles, school superintendent Alberto Carvalho has gone door to door; in Alabama, signs stressing the importance of attendance are displayed on front lawns; in Philadelphia, local programs have been established that send out text messages to potentially truant youths' parents. Lauren Lantry, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for truant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truant
Adjective
  • Among the wins were directing (Paul Thomas Anderson), supporting actor (an absent Sean Penn), the coveted best picture award, and the inaugural statuette for casting.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Additionally, recipients must live in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands, and must not be absent from the United States for a full calendar month or 30 consecutive days.
    Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • There are currently about 400 oil and product tankers idle in the Gulf, and one oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident on Monday, according to data from the website MarineTraffic.
    Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Large traffic volumes have resulted in Chinatown becoming an epicenter of poor air quality due to idling cars.
    Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The entire day felt dehumanizing, as if her nearly eight years with the company, her medical problems and her physical pain had been reduced to nothing more than malingering and scattered incidents of tardiness.
    Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
  • Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
    Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
Verb
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Agencies tied to the unfunded bills, including Homeland Security and the Departments of Defense and Transportation, were forced to furlough employees or require them to work without pay.
    Nik Popli, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
  • In November 2025, Western Global announced plans to furlough its pilots due to the prolonged grounding of the fleet.
    Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.
    Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
  • My request to ownership is don’t dawdle.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of setting up a spot on the sand, beachgoers typically pitch their chairs in the shallow clear blue water and laze the day away.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
  • But its proximity to the Arenal Volcano also means plenty of mineral-rich hot springs to laze around in.
    Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But don’t let that demure and goofy personality fool you!
    Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Tatum then isolated against the Spurs big man, fooled him with an up-fake, finished at the rim and smiled after being shoved to the ground.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Truant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truant. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on truant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster