ROOKIE Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

rookie

noun

ˈru̇-kē

Definition of rookie

as in novice

a person who is just starting out in a field of activity although a star in his old sport of basketball, he was still just a rookie as far as baseball was concerned

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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 rookie Diaz tacked on an RBI single in the ninth off rookie Bradley Hanner as the Astros scored six runs against New York's bullpen. — CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Milwaukee Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt certainly got the message sent by manager Pat Murphy on Tuesday night. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 The most conspicuous are rookie coaches Walter Vaughn of North Springs, Jamoski Ward of Central of Macon and Gabe Gay of Montgomery County . — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Young, who also had a fumble, has been impressed with Freeling’s competitiveness in his first camp and chalked up the rookie’s struggles to who lined up opposite him. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rookie

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rookie

Noun

Professional and novice astronomers alike are getting excited about the partial lunar eclipse.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
But for a novice, relying on AI before mastering the fundamentals creates a technical debt that leads to a lack of depth.

— Jason Corso, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of novice

Noun

Yarn crafters of all skill levels are welcome, from beginners to experienced makers, the release said.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is one of the best telescopes for beginner-to-intermediate stargazers who want to view deep-sky objects and appreciate assistance in manually locating the targets.

— Paul Brett, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of beginner

Noun

Davis, who attended Blue Valley North, was named Big 12 freshman of the week nine consecutive times.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
The senators cited a fall 2025 UC San Diego faculty work group paper that found about 1 in 12 incoming UCSD freshmen were testing below high school math standards, a share that the report said grew nearly thirtyfold since 2020.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of freshman

Noun

The battle for Charlotte’s wealth Charlotte’s hometown banking giants like Truist and Bank of America, as well as San Francisco’s Wells Fargo, are competing with aggressive out-of-state newcomers to capture clients.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Miami Beach today may be filled with newcomers, cranes and construction, deals and demolitions.

— Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of newcomer

Browse Nearby Words

rooked

rookie

rookies

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“Rookie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rookie. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rookie

noun

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