as in cousin
a person connected with another by blood or marriage to protect the family honor, he sought to revenge the murder of his kinsman

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 kinsman Our family grew—from the three siblings left in the wake of our mother’s death—to a bustling bunch of kinsmen redeemers. James T. Farmer, Southern Living, 8 July 2025 Rediscovering his family’s ancestral land centuries after the religious wars forced those kinsmen to flee, our caballero soon steps in to protect a local clan from an oppressive landowner and his abusive henchmen. Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024 At the time of President Lincoln's assassination, my father was in Washington visiting his kinsman, Col. Thomas M. Vincent, who was on the staff of the Adjutant General. Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, 3 Sep. 2020 The Boy Who Flew Photograph by Heritage Images/Getty Images Banished from Athens for killing a kinsman, the inventor Daedalus plays a key role in the Minotaur myth. Amaranta Sbardella, National Geographic, 1 Oct. 2019 Women were rewarded for refusing to shelter men, including kinsmen, who were involved in the genocide, and for testifying against their rapists. Rania Abouzeid, National Geographic, 15 Oct. 2019 Their kinsmen, already in the United States, have been vital factors in farm and workshop for generations. Lily Rothman, Time, 20 June 2018 The warriors butchered the people and used the heads of Lewis’s kinsmen as decoration for their belts. Emily Bernard, The New Republic, 19 June 2018 Best of all, Mazibuko believes his friend and kinsman's experiment has worked. Chuck Yarborough, cleveland.com, 21 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinsman
Noun
  • For the trucker who’s wiring part of his paycheck to his parents in Mexico, the nurse who’s supporting her siblings in Nigeria, or the Afghan interpreter who’s helping his cousins resettle, the tax is a penalty on one of the purest expressions of human freedom: ...
    Brayden Myers, National Review, 18 July 2025
  • The investigation led by the FBI revealed that Brillante was also sending similar threatening messages to another cousin and her husband in Texas.
    Jay Weaver July 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • Check on relatives and neighbors, especially the elderly and those without access to air conditioning.
    Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 23 July 2025
  • Look out for others: Stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kinsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kinsman. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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