GUARDIANS Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

guardians

noun

plural of guardian

as in custodians

a person or group that watches over someone or something the state became his guardian when he was put into protective custody

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in keepers

a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner the guardians of the summer estate awaited the return of the tycoon

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in defenders

someone that protects the editor defended his newspaper's unrelenting exposure of government corruption, arguing that it is journalism's role to act as a guardian of democracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in caregivers

a person who has responsibility for the care of another when her parents died, her aunt became her legal guardian

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 guardians The incident did not involve personal information involving parents or guardians. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Officials said that parents and guardians may want to consider requesting a free credit freeze for their children who are under 16 to help prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened in the names of their children. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Every child under 18 with a Social Security number has an account in their name, but parents or guardians must claim the account on an app to receive a one-time deposit of $1,000. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Decades later, however, the guardians of the audio tapes were willing to work with Love Monday. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 Health insurers, meanwhile, are tasked with being guardians of the health care dollar and master negotiators. — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026 That is, parents and other guardians are a child’s first teachers, and reading aloud to children contributes to their future literacy. — Alex H. Poole, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026 Martinez and Jesse became her legal guardians, and Martinez communicated every day with Rachelle’s mother, Maddison, who is still in prison. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 In a dystopian Madrid where children become the legal guardians of their parents, María confronts the system when her mother is admitted to La edad menor, an irreversible process of infantilization. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guardians

Noun

About 100,000 workers across several state agencies are part of the union, including cooks, custodians, nurses and office staff.

— Tim Fang, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Many of these are custodians, laundry workers and food services workers.

— Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of custodians

Noun

Some fans are staunch defenders of the polarizing pork sandwich, which consists of a boneless pork patty smothered in tangy barbecue sauce, topped with onions and pickles and served on a toasted roll.

— Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Brooks and Jacob Rodriguez played all 59 snaps; Rodriguez had a season-low four tackles and PFF rated him fourth-worst among Miami’s 19 defenders.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of defenders

Noun

Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to have fewer financial assets and report debt problems, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey.

— Stephanie Dhue,Sharon Epperson, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
This evolved into The ROS1ders, a global group of patients and caregivers that seeks to improve outcomes for all ROS1+ cancers through community, education, and research.

— STAT Staff, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of caregivers

Noun

Students were randomly assigned to the roles of guards or inmates, with the guards pressured to maintain order by any means necessary.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
In a possible Supreme Court case, border guards’ invasions of privacy collide with the Fourth Amendment.

— George F. Will, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of guards

Noun

In it, a young family with a lot of baggage become the soul caretakers of a grand hotel in the Colorado Rockies during the brutal winter months.

— Rebekah Faubion, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
These changes may seem small, but with a fresh name and new caretakers, Howling Cow ice cream became an essential part of the NCSU student experience.

— Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of caretakers

Noun

The 6-foot-7 junior center quickly established herself as one of the nation’s best rim protectors after transferring in from Kentucky last season.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
Mixing puppetry, live theater and Indigenous percussion, the production turns familiar bogeymen into protectors while asking audiences to reconsider who — and what — poses the real danger.

— Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of protectors

Noun

According to the post, Kentucky State Police Aviation saw smoke in the area, and wardens and search and rescue personnel were able to access the location, near the headwaters of Cave Run Lake, using a boat.

— Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
Game wardens did arrest nine people across Georgia for boating under the influence, the majority of whom were at Lake Lanier.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026