truant 1 of 2

adjective

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.

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Dissimilar Words

truant

2 of 2

verb

as in to lazy

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Dissimilar Words

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 a late January social media post, district officials said any student participating in a walkout would be considered truant and given an unexcused absence. — Emily Donaldson, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Feb. 2026 In Kentucky, a 2024 law requiring court referrals for truant students led to a surge of families pulling their children out of public schools to homeschool, rather than face legal consequences. — Jon England, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025 The Moorhead Resource team steps in when students are at risk of being expelled or becoming truant to create a plan to address any underlying issues. — Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 School personnel also would be prohibited from referring truant students to police to be ticketed as punishment. — Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for truant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truant
  1. absent
  2. idle
  3. malinger
  4. bum
  5. furlough
  6. dawdle
  7. laze
  8. fool
Adjective
  • Suddenly, a genre that was all but entirely absent from the top of the charts just one decade ago has gone from large niche to dominating the mainstream.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In contrast, this coordinated brain activity was absent in participants who interacted with expressionless robots.
    — Yigit Topoglu, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of absent
Verb
  • The sheer number of ships − study authors cite at least 1,500 vessels − idled near the trade route and the length of time involved are just the beginning.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • A couple blocks away there are at least nine police cars, parked, idling.
    — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of idle
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
Definition of malinger
Verb
  • My conversation partner returned, somehow unable to bum even a single cigarette from anyone at this party.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 July 2026
  • I'mPhaedra Trethan, bummed out to hear one of my favorite baseball announcers has been let go in a round of ESPN layoffs.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of bum
Verb
  • The City of Dallas will furlough city employees for three days to address a $30 million budget shortfall.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • Harvey furloughed about 40% of city workers in October after declaring a state of financial distress, including nearly half of the Fire Department.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Definition of furlough
Verb
  • But, lucky for anyone who dawdled, many of the deals are still active.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 June 2026
  • No time to dawdle while finding your credit score!
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 June 2026
Definition of dawdle
Verb
  • The colony also has a population of New Zealand fur seals that laze around the rocks frequented by flocks of seabirds.
    — Todd Symons, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • The pigs that would soon enough become lunch lazed in the compost-pile mud in front of a five-star-hotel-worthy view of the Cretan Sea.
    — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
Definition of laze
Verb
  • Finding your people Don’t be fooled by the ease of conversations and the loud laughter — many of the women at the Girls Night Out board game night on Tuesday had never attended one of the social club’s events before, and most came on their own.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
  • But Morrison’s escape act demonstrates how people can be fooled when definitions aren’t clear.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of fool

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Cite this Entry

“Truant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truant. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on truant

Nglish: Translation of truant for Spanish Speakers

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