prudes

noun

plural of prude
as in puritans
a person who is greatly concerned with seemly behavior and morality especially regarding sexual matters the racy sitcom frequently satirizes exactly the sort of prude who would like to see the show taken off the air

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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 prudes Critics leapt at the chance to cast feminists as prudes and housewives as vixens. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 In fact, the prudes among us might need hand fans. — Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prudes
puritans
Noun
  • Its students arrive morally outraged, a priori puritans, while its professors are enervated and dissatisfied.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • During and after both wars, puritans used large-scale enslavement of Native peoples to bolster their labor force and help clear land for colonial settlement.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of puritans

Browse Nearby Words

prudery
prudes
prudish
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Cite this Entry

“Prudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prudes. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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