as in minion
disapproving
a very loyal member of an organization (such as a company or political party) who always obeys orders
party apparatchiks
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Recent Examples of apparatchik
In that time, Tucci appeared in a number of films as either a foot soldier, don, or other apparatchik of an underground criminal organization, including Quick Change, Men of Respect, Billy Bathgate, and The Public Eye.
—
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
But his theory seemed to mirror the temperament of Deng, who, for all his reformist tendencies, was a ruthless apparatchik.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Khamenei will decide which hardline apparatchik appears on the ballot to replace him.
—Karl Vick, TIME, 23 May 2024
Yet those two factions’ usual disdain for smooth political transitions seemed to wane in February, when Hamas elected a military commander, Yehya Sinwar, to serve as its next leader in Gaza, and the longtime apparatchik Mahmoud al-Aloul became Fatah’s first-ever vice president.
—Grant Rumley, Foreign Affairs, 9 Mar. 2017
See All Example Sentences for apparatchik
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
But his theory seemed to mirror the temperament of Deng, who, for all his reformist tendencies, was a ruthless apparatchik.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Khamenei will decide which hardline apparatchik appears on the ballot to replace him.
—Karl Vick, TIME, 23 May 2024
Yet those two factions’ usual disdain for smooth political transitions seemed to wane in February, when Hamas elected a military commander, Yehya Sinwar, to serve as its next leader in Gaza, and the longtime apparatchik Mahmoud al-Aloul became Fatah’s first-ever vice president.
—Grant Rumley, Foreign Affairs, 9 Mar. 2017
See All Example Sentences for apparatchik
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apparatchik
Noun
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What made Armani’s designs so appealing to Ovitz and his minions wasn’t just their confident power-suit cut.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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Vex can use that energy to empower herself, or channel it to conjure deadly minions that fight alongside her.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Guard may have worn out its welcome, but soldiers were still assigned to the region.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The Netzah Yehuda Battalion, formerly Nahal Haredi, enables Haredi men to serve as combat soldiers while observing strict religious practices.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After the Great Black Migration in the 1920s, our city was one of the centers of the Ku Klux Klan’s revival as the strongest populist movement of the decade, claiming 5 million adherents, with 50,000 in Chicago alone.—
Jackson Potter,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
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To adherents, Nakamoto is considered a hero who empowered individuals to take back control of money.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In the months before the $5 million match, Ali turned up the invective, calling Frazier dumb, mocking his dark skin, and painting him as a lackey for his white handlers.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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This is about the president of the United States and his complicit lackey Stephen Miller searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities and end elections.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Apparatchik.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apparatchik. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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