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Synonyms

helper

American  
[hel-per] / ˈhɛl pər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that helps or gives assistance, support, etc.

    Synonyms:
    ally, auxiliary, backer, supporter, assistant, aid

  2. an extra locomotive attached to a train at the front, middle, or rear, especially to provide extra power for climbing a steep grade.

Etymology

Origin of helper

First recorded in 1250–1300; help + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Claude Code, the AI-powered helper for writing computer code, has become popular in recent months.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

In the low-income Madanpur Khadar neighbourhood, 36-year-old domestic helper Sheela Kumari says she has been forced to abandon LPG cooking gas cylinders for cooking after prices more than doubled.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

“Anytime I get an opportunity to, like, just jump out in the front and just be like ‘How can we do this?’ ... or somebody asks for a helper, ‘Let me jump in there.’

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

ByteDance has created more than a dozen AI apps in China and parallel versions for overseas markets, such as chatbot Dola, video creator Dreamina and homework helper Gauth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Papa was a hostler’s helper at the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.