1
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
knights being dressed for battle by their retainers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in employee
one who works for another for wages or a salary
lifelong civil service retainers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retainer
Zoley offered to put Lewandowski on retainer — a recurring consulting fee — with GEO Group, according to two industry sources familiar with the matter.
—
Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Imhoff says the retainer and testing are at no cost to them.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Pullman was president of the over 15,000-member State Police union from 2012 until his resignation in 2018, during which time Lynch worked as a lobbyist representing the union in exchange for monthly retainer payments.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The School Board will have to vote again to approve a retainer agreement after it's worked out by the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office, which generally handles MPS' legal matters.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Imhoff says the retainer and testing are at no cost to them.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Pullman was president of the over 15,000-member State Police union from 2012 until his resignation in 2018, during which time Lynch worked as a lobbyist representing the union in exchange for monthly retainer payments.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The School Board will have to vote again to approve a retainer agreement after it's worked out by the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office, which generally handles MPS' legal matters.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retainer
Noun
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Hyungjin Son and Vinicius Costa filled out the cast as Falstaff’s bumpkinly servants.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Frances is at home, self-medicating and snapping at the servants.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to one former Kinahan employee, McGovern was a generous and well-liked person during his stint in Dubai, and was known as a heavy tipper.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Legends fictionalizes the true story of British customs employees who went undercover in the '90s to infiltrate drug smuggling gangs.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The ladies Carnarvon, their daughters, and their guests—not to mention the governesses, maids, and cooks?—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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With the husbands off for a golf outing, Julia and Jane (well attended to by Chimo’s martini-mixing maid Saunders) get decked out in their evening finest and wait impatiently at Julia’s luxe apartment (Jane lives upstairs) for the mystery man Maurice to arrive.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This cost is nominally shared between employers and employees, but workers bear the real burden through both paycheck deductions and forgone wages.—
Jordan Bruneau,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Research published last year on Japanese nursing homes found that robot adoption reduced worker quit rates and was associated with better care quality.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retainer. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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