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In the American West, a horseman skilled at handling cattle is called a cowboy. From ca.1820, cowboys were employed in small numbers on Texas ranches. After the Civil War, their numbers rapidly multiplied as cattle-raising evolved into a lucrative industry throughout the western territories. Cowboys rounded up and branded the cattle, kept watch over the herd, and drove those ready for market to railroad towns. As the agricultural frontier moved west, the open range was transformed into farms, and by 1890 cowboys had been forced to settle on ranches. The romance of their image lives on in American folklore and through movies and television.
Synonyms
Examples of cowboy in a Sentence
Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024
For the most part, day three of the opening weekend of the 2024 Coachella Festival was focused on a string of jaw-dropping surprise appearances by everyone from Justin Bieber to Kesha, Lauryn Hill and many more during a picture perfect Sunday of music and skin-baring cowboy chic.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé hails from Texas, homeland of North American cowboy culture and country music luminaries like Willie Nelson and George Strait.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
According to the Smithsonian magazine, historians believe that one in four cowboys were Black.
—Glamour, 4 Apr. 2024
First, Beyoncé arrived at the 2024 Grammy Awards in full cowboy regalia — making a statement without saying a word.
—Maria Sherman, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024
Rodeo Queens helped shape the culture of these events alongside cowboys and cowgirls, like the ones Beyoncé paid homage to in 2021 with Ivy Park Rodeo.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
Stop into town to catch a show at the WYO Theater, watch a polo match at the Big Horn Equestrian Center, or see the cowboys and cowgirls show off their moves at the Sheridan County Rodeo.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
The former math teacher and rodeo cowboy now travel across the country searching for goods to bring back to Pawhuska.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024
Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2023
That was her way of telling me to cowboy up.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Sep. 2022
Mask on, cowboy up.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2020
There is an inherent if slight risk, from precipitation to critters and privacy-oblivious creeps to cowboy camping; witnessing the other half of a day, or of nature itself, is a righteous reward.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 27 July 2021
Encompassing 37 pieces for men and women, the collection includes just about every western-wear staple from Yellowstone Dutton Ranch jackets to cowboy work shirts.
—Oscar Hartzog, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2022
The Angels entered the game with more homers than any team in baseball besides the Toronto Blue Jays, providing many opportunities to cowboy up in the dugout.
—Steve Hensonassistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2022
The Book Festival makes a point of including all types of work, from traditional novels to cowboy poetry.
—Kaitlyn Bancroft, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Sep. 2021
The church and its magnetic leader, a descendant of pioneering pastors who preached to cowboy stars from a bygone Hollywood age, seem to revel in their contrarian role.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cowboy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Cowboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowboy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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