as in officials
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
Relevance
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 bureaucrats
Put the undocumented immigrants and lifelong bureaucrats and NATO and blue cities on watch.
—
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
Freed from the ideologues who have held them hostage, even most bureaucrats serving in the Islamic Republic today could rediscover the best of our history and reorient their efforts toward our nation’s improvement.
—Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Practice time was precious, and bureaucrats carefully allocated the hours.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
The bureaucrats operating Obamacare couldn’t care less about the taxpayers footing the bill.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Likewise, empowering state bureaucrats to value individual portfolios – which are often illiquid and not easy to value – is textbook government bloat, something national voters have no tolerance for.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
Freed from the ideologues who have held them hostage, even most bureaucrats serving in the Islamic Republic today could rediscover the best of our history and reorient their efforts toward our nation’s improvement.
—Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Practice time was precious, and bureaucrats carefully allocated the hours.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
The bureaucrats operating Obamacare couldn’t care less about the taxpayers footing the bill.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Likewise, empowering state bureaucrats to value individual portfolios – which are often illiquid and not easy to value – is textbook government bloat, something national voters have no tolerance for.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bureaucrats
Noun
-
Former Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because the Biden administration did not send any diplomatic officials as a boycott over human rights concerns.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
As a politicized national fight over waste, fraud and abuse led by Republicans have targeted California and its Democratic leadership, Bonta and other state officials have moved swiftly to combat the claims.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Two of the people who were killed in Thursday’s crash were employees of 99 Ranch Market and the third was a customer, ABC 7 reported.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
More complex filings, such as returns involving small businesses with employees, rental income or the alternative minimum tax, may not be eligible for preparation, according to the program’s website.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Drivers anxious to pay their tickets right away were unable to because clerks couldn’t yet match their payment with violations.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
In the fall, election clerks worked late into the night to process more than 70,000 voter registrations that had piled up while the county switched to the Texas Secretary of State's software for processing registrations.—
Saul Pink,
San Antonio Express-News,
27 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
-
Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The incident, which released flammable hydrocarbons, injured four workers and forced 14 schools into lockdown.—
Jasmine Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bureaucrats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bureaucrats. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
