Definition of bureaucratnext
as in clerk
a worker in a government agency the bureaucrats at the town hall seem to think that we need a building permit to build a tree house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 bureaucrat Removing those financial incentives would allow care to be organized around quality and access rather than distorting care into forms most favored by bureaucrats. Tomas J. Philipson, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026 It's been nearly a decade since The Night Manager ensnared viewers in its sticky web of arms dealers, secret agents, and dodgy bureaucrats. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026 Thankfully, Iran already has online platforms, created by nongovernmental organizations, that citizens can use to register complaints about policies and bureaucrats. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025 In the second, a successful author (Charlotte Rampling) living in Dublin receives her annual visit from her daughters, one a rigid bureaucrat (Cate Blanchett) and the other a scuffling bohemian (Vicky Krieps). Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bureaucrat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bureaucrat
Noun
  • Lakeside's previous police chief, who also served as mayor, Robert Gordanaire, was fired after he and his daughter, the town clerk, were indicted by a grand jury for selling vehicles belonging to the town and pocketing the profit.
    Brian Maass, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • According to prosecutors, Trammell flashed a knife at a store clerk in the Morena neighborhood and then held a homeless man hostage at knifepoint.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • State officials who are defendants in the lawsuit denied restricting the detainees' access to their attorneys and said any protocols were in place for security reasons and to make sure there was sufficient staffing.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Justice Department officials have said protecting federal agents has become a priority amid rising confrontations during protests and enforcement actions.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
    Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Tech giants flourish or falter based on their decisions to overhaul themselves, often leaving tens of thousands of workers to pay the price.
    Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association workers, some of whom don't have power at their own homes, are working 16-hour days to restore electricity in Mississippi.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, in which former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick faces a major snub, and Virginia Commonwealth University fires an employee after ICE videos.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • In an environment where most employees already lack the time or energy to do their jobs, treating responsiveness as a core leadership trait doesn’t create momentum.
    Dilan Gomih, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bureaucrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bureaucrat. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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