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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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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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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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
Unlike last year, however, no Russian drones or missiles crossed the sky above the campsite on their way toward Kyiv. — Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 Russia had launched a barrage of missiles and drones against Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, killing at least 19 people, authorities said. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 7 July 2026 Ballistic missiles and drones hammered parts of Kyiv, killing at least 19 people in the city and six others in the surrounding region, with dozens more wounded, city officials said. — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 7 July 2026 Unlike many conventional air defense systems, Titan-MS focuses on small drones that are difficult to detect with legacy equipment. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drones
  1. slugs
  2. laborers
  3. hums
  4. buzzes
  5. bums
  6. snails
  7. workers
  8. purrs
Noun
  • Having snakes around is actually beneficial to gardening—many snakes feed on garden pests such as slugs and snails, and others prey on rodents.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
  • Old Coffee Coffee grounds are sometimes spread around gardens or mixed into the soil to enrich it and deter slugs, snails, and other pests.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026
Definition of slugs
Noun
  • He is accused of not checking work authorizations before hiring laborers, according to the Post.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • Israel soon barred nearly two hundred thousand Palestinian laborers from its workforce.
    — Nirit Peled, New Yorker, 26 June 2026
Definition of laborers
Noun
  • That screened out background hums and consistent noise, but could never cope with dynamic audio spikes.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • June 21 – July 22 Quiet optimism hums beneath today’s choices.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of hums
Verb
  • Your phone buzzes in your pocket.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
  • Every once in a while, a player buzzes in with an answer that truly catches fans off-guard.
    — Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of bums
Noun
  • Coffee grounds are also often used to deter slugs and snails, reduce weeds without chemicals, and even repel neighborhood strays.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 24 June 2026
  • Slugs and Snails Slugs and snails feed at night on damp areas of your tomato plant, chewing holes in leaves and fruit.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 24 June 2026
Definition of snails
Noun
  • There are fewer opportunities for younger workers to find mentors and soak up knowledge.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The sheriff's office says a preliminary investigation found that workers were installing underground tanks.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of workers
Noun
  • 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
  • Honey is ready to bring love, purrs and playful cuddles to her forever home.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Definition of purrs

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drones
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Cite this Entry

“Drones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drones. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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