boys

noun

plural of boy
1
as in kids
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood a giggling little boy ran by

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in boyfriends
a male romantic companion their teenaged daughter has a new boy, and she's just crazy about him

Synonyms & Similar 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 boys Outside the old red-brick Victorian mansion, framed by palm trees, two teenage boys zip around the car park on unicycles. — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 Told without the participation of a single male actor, The Women turned Hollywood’s all-boys club on its head, becoming a major hit in a year dominated by Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. — Raymond Ang, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026 Although Partridge lampoons private equity, his skits resonate beyond buyout boys. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026 After teenage boys first reported that they had been abused in 2005, Church of the Resurrection conducted an internal investigation that court records show was inconclusive. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 For Bobby, the side effects were the price of getting his life back and having more time with our boys. — Stat Staff, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026 Religious schools for teen boys and married men receive government payments for each student. — Hannah Ridge, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 Set in 1980s Britain, the comedy follows eight pupils at a Sheffield boys’ grammar school. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 The inspiration started with two boys needing a place to sit. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boys
  1. kids
  2. boyfriends
  3. teenagers
  4. beaux
  5. lads
  6. youths
Noun
  • The South is cheapest for young kids For families with young children, annual costs are lowest across much of the South.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped in London in 2024, the Prince of Wales wanted a photo with his kids and the world-famous singer.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of kids
Noun
  • And, if so, what will happen to all those chatbot boyfriends?
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • People’s responses were also colored by everyone suddenly having lawyers and managers and agents, wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of boyfriends
Noun
  • Social media giant Meta was hit with a class action lawsuit in Australia on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm over the addictive design features and exposure to harmful content on its platforms Facebook and Instagram.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The studio expects a broad audience, including teenagers and young adults who grew up on its films, fantasy-loving adults and families.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of teenagers
Noun
  • So are their girlfriends and wives, who support their beaus in stadiums and at home.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Despite some very not-so-subtle hints from yours truly, my past beaus have never gifted me a handbag on Valentine’s Day, either.
    — Michelle Baricevic, InStyle, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of beaux
Noun
  • How do two middle-class lads in ratty threads, who might very well have both been played by Robert Pattinson, fast-track an appointment with Jesus?
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Just as Annette Badland teased to Deadline, Mae’s shares come in clutch from beyond the grave at the Bi-Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, only attended by the three lads from the pub.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of lads
Noun
  • Police and the El Paso, Texas, branch of the NAACP are condemning a group of people, possibly including youths, who were shown wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white robes and hoods in viral social media videos.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Kansas City police responded to the Country Club Plaza Saturday night after a group of 60 to 100 youths caused a disturbance, a police spokesman said Monday.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of youths

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Cite this Entry

“Boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boys. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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