as in Joe Blow
an average or ordinary man
to John Doe the most important issues in any election are usually those that affect his wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 John Doe
The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, as well as two unnamed Kansas City Police officers identified as John Doe and Jane Doe, are listed as defendants.
—
Benjamin Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 20 Dec. 2025
The John Doe becomes a sensation, as the whole city wants to offer him a job and prevent him from jumping.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
MacPherson, who was let go in January 2024 as NU’s associate head coach, was also accused in a separate lawsuit, filed by former quarterback Lloyd Yates and an unnamed John Doe, of observing hazing incidents and making inappropriate comments about the latter’s girlfriend.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Two months ago, Redgrave Research located a probable sibling group that likely included the John Doe, the company said.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for John Doe
Benjamin Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 20 Dec. 2025
The John Doe becomes a sensation, as the whole city wants to offer him a job and prevent him from jumping.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
MacPherson, who was let go in January 2024 as NU’s associate head coach, was also accused in a separate lawsuit, filed by former quarterback Lloyd Yates and an unnamed John Doe, of observing hazing incidents and making inappropriate comments about the latter’s girlfriend.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Two months ago, Redgrave Research located a probable sibling group that likely included the John Doe, the company said.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for John Doe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for John Doe
Noun
-
Under secret balloting, someone might say, hey, here is $5 to vote for Joe Blow, but the voter could take the money and go into the curtained voting booth and vote for Bill Smith.—
Jay Ambrose,
Star Tribune,
10 Aug. 2020
Noun
-
Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketer’s Insight, said Yuengling is among the last regional brewers left standing in an age of consolidation, giving it craft beer cachet at something closer to a Joe Six-Pack price.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
First, famed filmmaker James Cameron endorsed Paramount, saying a Netflix takeover would lead to massive job losses in the entertainment industry, which is already reeling from a production slowdown in Southern California that has disrupted the lives of thousands of film industry workers.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Labor Department published a rule Friday that would undo egregious attempts during the last administration to classify more workers as employees rather than independent contractors.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“John Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/John%20Doe. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
