as in workers
a person who does very hard or dull work
they could only find work as laborers unloading cargo ships
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Recent Examples of laborers
He is accused of not checking work authorizations before hiring laborers, according to the Post.
—
Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
While the independent committee supporting Coyne is backed by Local 89, a laborers union, Crosby has been endorsed by the city’s largest labor union — the Municipal Employees Association — and the region’s largest labor organization, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Only a few years ago, Black farm workers in the Delta settled lawsuits over claims white laborers from South Africa were paid more for the same work.
—Drew Hawkins, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
The laborers and manufacturers prepare to graft.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
The backstory Penang is a mosaic of ethnic influences—the result of waves of immigration that peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries, drawing merchants and laborers from various parts of the world.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Last January, a three-day raid in Kern County where undocumented laborers were arrested set off panic in the Central Valley and other farming regions with large immigrant workforces.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
As the sweep unfolded, dozens of laborers moved methodically through the forest’s steep and muddy terrain.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
By design, the responsibility to pay these workers shifted from the employers, who were reluctant to pay Black laborers in the first place, to the whims of the customers.
—Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
While the independent committee supporting Coyne is backed by Local 89, a laborers union, Crosby has been endorsed by the city’s largest labor union — the Municipal Employees Association — and the region’s largest labor organization, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Only a few years ago, Black farm workers in the Delta settled lawsuits over claims white laborers from South Africa were paid more for the same work.
—Drew Hawkins, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
The laborers and manufacturers prepare to graft.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
The backstory Penang is a mosaic of ethnic influences—the result of waves of immigration that peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries, drawing merchants and laborers from various parts of the world.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Last January, a three-day raid in Kern County where undocumented laborers were arrested set off panic in the Central Valley and other farming regions with large immigrant workforces.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
As the sweep unfolded, dozens of laborers moved methodically through the forest’s steep and muddy terrain.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
By design, the responsibility to pay these workers shifted from the employers, who were reluctant to pay Black laborers in the first place, to the whims of the customers.
—Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laborers
Noun
-
Equally concerning is that requiring twice as many workers per case without a plan to recruit or retain them risks widespread gaps in care.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
First, the company engaged in interference and retaliation by issuing discipline to a bargaining committee member for attending bargaining sessions on behalf of their fellow workers — protected activity under federal law.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rastus, Westinghouse’s Great Depression-era robot, was the most overtly racialized of these corporate robot slaves.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Some of the first slaves to arrive in Louisiana were sent from Angola, according to historians.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laborers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laborers. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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