as in dwarves
a person of no importance or influence
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
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Recent Examples of insects
Like many other insects, stink bugs are a favorite target for parasitic wasps.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
Climate, insects, bacteria, viruses, drainage, sun exposure, drought, soil type and quality, space limitations and wildlife can all influence how long a fruit tree lives.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
According to Ian Williams, an entomologist at Orkin, water is a breeding ground for several insects like mosquitoes, drain flies, and termites who look to water for shelter or feeding.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The snakes catch tree-dwelling prey, from small lizards and birds to insects, amphibians and some small mammals, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Each type of floret has an appeal to different pollinating insects, which explains the variety of beneficial insects found on these plants.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Reportedly, the bacterial types suggest the man’s diet included plants and insects.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Proposals that the lights were swarming insects or birds carrying glowing fungus were quickly debunked.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Per the study, the female life expectancy advantage is only consistent in mammals, whereas in birds, amphibians and insects, males tend to live longer.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
Climate, insects, bacteria, viruses, drainage, sun exposure, drought, soil type and quality, space limitations and wildlife can all influence how long a fruit tree lives.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
According to Ian Williams, an entomologist at Orkin, water is a breeding ground for several insects like mosquitoes, drain flies, and termites who look to water for shelter or feeding.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The snakes catch tree-dwelling prey, from small lizards and birds to insects, amphibians and some small mammals, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Each type of floret has an appeal to different pollinating insects, which explains the variety of beneficial insects found on these plants.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Reportedly, the bacterial types suggest the man’s diet included plants and insects.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Proposals that the lights were swarming insects or birds carrying glowing fungus were quickly debunked.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Per the study, the female life expectancy advantage is only consistent in mammals, whereas in birds, amphibians and insects, males tend to live longer.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
Noun
-
The movie, which posits an impending nuclear strike on a major American city, is a flimsy yet high-minded piece of doomsday schlock, largely populated by ciphers in suits and drained of the pulp pleasures that schlock, at its best, can afford.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Professional athletes, however, aren’t nobodies.—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
More importantly, the narrative explores both sides of the conflict from the POV of grunts and 'nobodies' trying to navigate the post-Civil War state of the galaxy before the fighting stops.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Hughes is one of the world's top lightweights in MMA, the sport where McGregor built his following and name.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Fighting off hordes of alien monstrosities AND digging for rare minerals in outer space as a crew of beer-swilling, ass kicking space dwarves?—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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And all these dwarves and elves and humans go, ‘What?—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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