DRONES Synonyms: 180 Similar and Opposite Words

drones 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of drone

as in slugs

a lazy person those drones just lie around while we do all the work

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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

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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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

Full service was being restored at the end of last week, but Zelenskyy said Monday that the restrictions are still slowing Ukraine's drones along the front. — Samya Kullab, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026 That would be between 25 and 50 times more payload capacity than competing stratospheric platforms like high-flying drones, according to Helena, a US nonprofit organization with a for-profit investment arm that has invested in Sceye. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 Full service was being restored at the end of last week, but Zelensky said Monday that the restrictions are still slowing Ukraine’s drones along the front. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Koretskyi said that flights would require coordination with the military and that drones would be given a special status and be identifiable in the air. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 Losing the ability to fly fast drones, by contrast, hurts Ukraine right now—and hands Russia an immediate advantage in the skies. — Steven John, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption, including with the use of drones, with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Our soldiers, who have been on the front line for weeks and months, are being delivered food and water using appropriate drones with Starlink. — Kristin Wright, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026 Ukraine’s Fire Point company, which makes the drones used in the attack, said there was a fire on the terminal’s grounds following the strike. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drones

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

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
Meanwhile, $12 million will go to a fund supporting out-of-work entertainment industry laborers.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of laborers

Verb

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
Elimar, the ground floor restaurant, buzzes at breakfast with a spectacular spread including giant wheels of parmesan and sides of prosciutto, fruit, egg and pancake stations, and a gluten-free section.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 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

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
The inflatable horses, butterflies, snails and other creatures were made by the New York artist and designer Katie Stout.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of snails

Noun

Conflict-of-interest rules may bar some workers and their families from holding certain stocks; the Treasury has moved to ban ESG funds from accounts, but there’s no way for people to keep certain stocks out of their kids’ accounts.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
His father, Amin Mia, 26, said no health workers came to their remote village in Sylhet to offer vaccinations in time.

— Reuters, NBC news, 19 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

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droners

drones

droning

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“Drones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drones. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of drones

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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