drones 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of drone
1
as in slugs
a lazy person those drones just lie around while we do all the work

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2
as in laborers
a person who does very hard or dull work after lunch my fellow drones and I shuffle back to our cubicles

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drones

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of drone
as in hums
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion heard the drone of an airplane overhead

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drones

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of drone
1
as in buzzes
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound the sound of droning bees all around us

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2
as in lounges
to spend time doing nothing instead of getting a job, he preferred to drone and live off his parents

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 drones
Noun
Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones connected to Starshield lost connectivity at high speeds, disrupting air defenses during daily Russian air attacks. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 Engineers in the United States are using sound to identify potential catastrophic failures of drones. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026 Rather than approving only complete drones, the Blue UAS Framework also vets individual components like flight controllers, radios, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, cameras and software. — Yoav Amitai, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The original plan changed because of substantial delays caused by global conflicts and suppliers redirecting their resources towards military products, including drones and missiles. — New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026 For more than a week, Ukraine had faced a speed limit on the Starshield satellite terminals used by its military, hindering its ability to intercept fast-moving Russian drones. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 153 drones along with an unspecified number of cruise missiles into the country in its latest round of attacks. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, Zelensky on Sunday said Russia had launched nearly 2,300 drones targeting Ukrainian cities over the last week, renewing his call for Western allies to speed up deliveries of interceptors. — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drones
  1. slugs
  2. laborers
  3. hums
  4. buzzes
  5. bums
  6. snails
  7. workers
  8. purrs
Noun
  • These beneficial predators spend the winter under leaves, emerging in spring to feed on common garden pests such as aphids, slugs and mites.
    — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Families can learn about slugs, spiders, vultures and more during Creepy Critters Month at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Road, a park district news release said.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slugs
Noun
  • Her philanthropic activities extended far beyond her own community to include Indigenous inmates, Chinese immigrants, and white laborers, along with countless other Angelenos.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the previous decades, Japan had brought in many Korean, Chinese, and Taiwanese laborers, often under duress, to work in factories and mines, usually in atrocious conditions.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of laborers
Noun
  • Jane Marsching, swathed in a deep-blue apron printed with white leaves, hums beneath a linden tree.
    — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Very occasionally, a scooter—piled high with passengers—hums past.
    — Claire Turrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of hums
Verb
  • Food and drink Throughout the day, The Bulgari Lounge buzzes with guests enjoying coffee, an afternoon aperitivo, or a post-dinner digestif.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Best Time To Visit As a lake town, Coeur d’Alene buzzes with activity in the summer months, but fall is arguably its best season.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of bums
Noun
  • The researchers found a population deep in a Japanese mountain valley where left- and right-coiling snails can mate and exchange genes.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • And at Mugler, the mood was set before the first look appeared, with screens beaming erotic footage that included mating snails, sweaty skin, a woman’s tongue and two people kissing.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of snails
Noun
  • But the movement has widened to include workers demanding relief from rising living costs, making the government’s task broader than resolving a dispute over university admissions.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Also according to the emergency service, consecutive Russian strikes on a shopping center in Kharkiv injured four people late on Saturday, including three rescue workers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of workers
Noun
  • Kimie Smothermon begins each day greeted by the squeals, chirps and purrs of nearly 400 guinea pigs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Wafting odors of 100-octane gasoline and rumbling purrs of V8 engines punched through the overcast morning at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday as the Velocity Invitational car meet entered its second day.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2026
Definition of purrs

Browse Nearby Words

droners
drones
droning
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Cite this Entry

“Drones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drones. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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