pallbearer
noun
pall·bear·er
ˈpȯl-ˌber-ər 
: a person who helps to carry the coffin at a funeral
also
: a member of the escort or honor guard of the coffin who does not actually help to carry it
Examples of pallbearer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At her funeral, mourners wrested her casket from the official pallbearers and carried it aloft through the streets of Cairo, to her burial place.
—
Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 27 Dec. 2025
As a military band played, pallbearers carried out the coffin past mourners kneeling in respect.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
The pallbearers had bags on their heads.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
One of Williams’ players then, ex-Raiders defensive lineman and Patriots great Richard Seymour, was a pallbearer at Tyson’s funeral.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pallbearer
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.
Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 27 Dec. 2025
As a military band played, pallbearers carried out the coffin past mourners kneeling in respect.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
The pallbearers had bags on their heads.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
One of Williams’ players then, ex-Raiders defensive lineman and Patriots great Richard Seymour, was a pallbearer at Tyson’s funeral.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pallbearer
Cite this Entry
“Pallbearer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pallbearer. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pallbearer
noun
pall·bear·er
ˈpȯl-ˌbar-ər
-ˌber-
: a person who helps to carry the coffin at a funeral
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share