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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as in hums
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
heard the drone of an airplane overhead
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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
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Recent Examples of drones
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
About 20 Air Force combat planes, including F-15Es, A-10s and AC-130J gunships, as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones and Jordanian F-16 fighter jets, fired more than 90 bombs and missiles toward at least 35 targets Saturday, according to Capt.
—Arkansas Online, 11 Jan. 2026
The sites, which were awarded to the Oklahoma tribe and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, are the first two testing grounds for drones and other unmanned aircraft created in nearly a decade, according to the FAA.
—Janelle Stecklein, Oklahoma Voice, 11 Jan. 2026
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, using waves of missiles and drones to cripple power generation in an apparent effort to erode morale and hit the economy.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Varta positions this range as suitable for last-line defense against incoming FPV drones.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Russia responded with a powerful hypersonic missile and hundreds of drones, devastating Ukraine’s power grid and leaving millions without heat, electricity and water.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Search efforts involved 15-20 police dogs, drones, boats and additional rescue teams who covered the surrounding area on foot, Breault says.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia fired 214 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
Ali Safavi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told Fox News Digital that drones were observed over Ferdow Boulevard in Tehran-sar.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for drones
Verb
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Miami hums as a warm-weather clearing house for Latin American taste and capital, part art fair, part duty-free fever dream with better coffee.—
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More than a century later, that idea still hums inside the company's workshop.—
Verb
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Lean too hard, exceed a set speed threshold, or approach a hazard, and the seat buzzes to alert you.—
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Moments later, her phone buzzes with an alert.—
Verb
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The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.—
Verb
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As Cuenca plays a ball to the feet of his striker, Wilson dashes in the other direction, delaying Ibrahima Konate’s forward jump because the centre-back knows Bradley is unable to track both him and Robinson at the same time.—
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In the dark romantic comedy-drama, True Blood alum Skarsgård, 49, plays tough biker Ray, who enters into a dominant-submissive relationship with Colin (Melling), a shy and directionless man who sings in a barbershop quartet.—
Verb
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Winds chills in the mountains could hit 0 to minus 10 degrees, the NWS says.—
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When that happens, Arctic air chills temperatures in other regions.—
Verb
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The belief that the Maduro episode could be replicated in Iran also rests on a misleading comparison.—
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But according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the post-raid landscape, that assumption rests on dangerously fragile ground.—
Verb
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Warm days are made for outdoor lunches and park strolls through El Retiro or Casa de Campo, while evenings stretch into tapas crawls and impromptu street performances in La Latina.—
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From pit lane strolls to VIP rooftop views, stars showed up and showed out at one of the biggest sports weekends of the year.—
Verb
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Is every head that pokes in to look at me actually Frank himself?—
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The Aries moon pokes holes in old insecurities about competence and productivity.—
Cite this Entry
“Drones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drones. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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