slave 1 of 2

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

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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

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slave

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 slave
Noun
Yet this trust was soon eroded as slave rebellions increased throughout the Americas, and, in 1802, Black Americans were banned from carrying mail until Reconstruction. Sarah Prager, JSTOR Daily, 12 Mar. 2025 Galveston’s past closely mirrors New Orleans', with ports on the Transatlantic slave route that served a large swath of the American South. Mariah Tyler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
In other words, spend your energies considering the ingredients rather than slaving over the method. Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 18 Jan. 2024 And, having lost their land, the family is being supported only by the wages of their son who is slaving at a brick factory. Patrick Frater, Variety, 12 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for slave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slave
Noun
  • Son Heung-min has been a tremendous servant to the club, but at 32, his influence appears to be waning.
    Robert Kidd, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Launched in 2010 from creator Julian Fellowes, the original Downton Abbey series ran through 2015 on the British network ITV and on PBS in America, and followed the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their team of servants at their Yorkshire estate in 1912.
    EW.com, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The exploitation of enslaved laborers on cane plantations increased supply and decreased production costs.
    Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Recreational leagues featured Japanese, Filipino, white and Portuguese laborers, who unwound after a long day of harvest with a few innings of baseball.
    Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Other artists have spent decades laboring over their magnum opuses—Michael Heizer and James Turrell, with their sprawling land projects in the American West (City and Roden Crater, respectively), spring to mind—but few, if any, have worked only on those pieces.
    Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Workers are laboring in 95 degree heat, surrounded by toxic soil.
    Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Victims were persuaded to give the money to another individual who came to their homes - in New York City, Chicago and other locations - posing as a bail bondsman or in some cases send it by mail.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The victims were also persuaded to provide bail money to people who came to their home impersonating bail bondsmen and were often led to believe a gag order was in place, preventing them from telling anyone about the situation.
    Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Among workers who have requested raises, over half (57%) only ask for a raise during performance reviews or once per year.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The only recommendation that CDC makes is people who are taking care of those with measles, perhaps health care workers, might consider an additional booster later in life.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Ever since Alcaraz lost that immense Olympic final to Djokovic in August, the Spaniard has generally struggled to find his groove.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Red Bull struggled, and Liam Lawson is under scrutiny after another poor race weekend.
    Patrick Iversen, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • At its essence, Zion Lodge strives to provide travelers with a space to relax.
    Sophie Mendel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Instead, strive to make choices that feel authentic and align with your values.
    Scott Mautz, Contributor, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The game is the system that keeps one as chattel for the other.
    Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
  • This led to the development of a particular type of housing structure known as chattel houses in countries such as Barbados.
    Farah Nibbs, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

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