doughboy

noun

dough·​boy ˈdō-ˌbȯi How to pronounce doughboy (audio)
: an American infantryman especially in World War I

Examples of doughboy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
She’s rescued by a detachment of American doughboys, led by the aforementioned Pvt. Ben H. Winters, New York Times, 26 July 2025 In this massive operation, however, Allied commanders became uncertain of the location of the doughboys of the Lost Battalion, who soon fell under attack from both enemy German artillery, as well as friendly fire from the Americans. Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023 Look at the recent backlash against pop singer Róisín Murphy, who is about as threatening a figure as the Pillsbury doughboy. Bob Guccione Jr, Spin, 20 Sep. 2023 First developed in 1918, the M2 has been in steady service throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, remaining largely unchanged—to the point where a World War I-era doughboy could sit in front of a modern M2 and immediately know how to operate it. Popular Mechanics, 31 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for doughboy

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of doughboy was in 1835

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Doughboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doughboy. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

doughboy

noun
dough·​boy ˈdō-ˌbȯi How to pronounce doughboy (audio)
: an American infantryman especially in World War I

More from Merriam-Webster on doughboy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!