troubleshooter

noun

trou·​ble·​shoot·​er ˈtrə-bəl-ˌshü-tər How to pronounce troubleshooter (audio)
1
: a skilled worker employed to locate trouble and make repairs in machinery and technical equipment
2
: an expert in resolving diplomatic or political disputes : a mediator of disputes that are at an impasse
3
: a person skilled at solving or anticipating problems or difficulties

Examples of troubleshooter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web James Dobbins, a US diplomatic troubleshooter whose assignments included reopening the embassy in Kabul after the 2001 invasion and then returning more than a decade later as a special envoy during a grinding war and fading hopes of stabilizing Afghanistan, died July 3 at a hospital in Washington. Brian Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2023 Carroll was playing for the Class AA team in Amarillo, Texas, when the scout Jeff Gardner, an organizational troubleshooter, visited to work on bunts. Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 28 June 2023 Those projectionists, though, were highly skilled engineers and troubleshooters. Lane Brown, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2023 He is known as a political troubleshooter who has taken on a variety of roles to try to iron out problems created by other lawmakers. Nick Perry, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Jan. 2023 In New York business and government circles, Mr. Ellinghaus became a man-in-the-news troubleshooter. New York Times, 5 Jan. 2022 And if a troubleshooter can't help, the elections department partners with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to have a deputy sent out. Rachel Leingang, The Arizona Republic, 19 Oct. 2020 His family moved around the Northwest, where his father worked as a troubleshooter for struggling grocery stores. Matt Schudel, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2020 Serve as a technical problem-solver/troubleshooter involving daily telephone contact with the ACO and periodic travel. Micah Walker, Detroit Free Press, 15 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'troubleshooter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of troubleshooter was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near troubleshooter

Cite this Entry

“Troubleshooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubleshooter. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

troubleshooter

noun
trou·​ble·​shoot·​er -ˌshüt-ər How to pronounce troubleshooter (audio)
: a person who troubleshoots

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