ward heeler

noun

: a worker for a political boss in a ward or other local area

Examples of ward heeler 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.
Chicago Tribune Many of Madigan’s backers are people with personal or political ties that run long and deep, such as current and former lawmakers, lobbyists, staffers, judges, campaign contributors, ward heelers, labor leaders, clergy and, of course, family. Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025 Clarence Yancey, an old-school political ward heeler in Louisville's West End whose backing was sought by local and statewide politicians for decades, died Sunday, according to his family. Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, 18 July 2022 Smith, an eighth-grade dropout who went to work at 15 to support his widowed mother, was deemed by most a coarse ward heeler beholden to the Tammany Hall satraps who anointed him. Edward Kosner, WSJ, 25 Sep. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ward heeler was in 1888

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Cite this Entry

“Ward heeler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ward%20heeler. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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