cog

noun

Definition of cognext
as in assistant

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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 cog Zuccarello was a key cog in the top six and on the power play, as well as the right-hand man and good friend of superstar Kirill Kaprizov. — Chris Johnston, New York Times, 1 July 2026 The app has become a quintessential cog in the dating machine—especially in those liminal stages, the flirtations and the breakups. — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 That is up to a human using the tool, which makes the person behind each prompt a crucial cog in any workflow. — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 18 June 2026 The 49ers view Williams as a versatile cog in their defensive line machine, with the ability to set the edge in running situations and pass rush against guards on passing downs. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cog
  1. assistant
  2. subordinate
  3. underling
  4. worker
  5. employee
  6. flunky
  7. yes-man
  8. retainer
Noun
  • At Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, assistant music professor Benjamin Guerrero is co-teaching a class next year with a computer scientist.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Gainesville quickly lured Grayson’s coach, Santavious Bryant, a former Gainesville assistant, as Niblett’s replacement.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of assistant
Noun
  • The supporting figures are colorful enough, though Akkabi’s sneering chief villain arguably makes less of an impression than his subordinates.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
  • Almost all the coverage of this story has focused on who knew what, and when, about Sherrone Moore’s affair with a subordinate.
    — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of subordinate
Noun
  • Rumors of relationships between executives and underlings went around on campus.
    — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival gets underway this weekend with Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, the latest movie devoted to the mischievous army of yellow underlings first introduced in 2010 breakout Despicable Me.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
Definition of underling
Noun
  • Search and rescue efforts included nearby residents, emergency services, healthcare workers, security personnel and an expert team from the local disaster prevention office, per the BBC.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a 41-year-old migrant being held at the Delaney Hall detention center, was pronounced dead on Saturday by medical workers at University Hospital in Newark, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Monday.
    — Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • The order is opposed by unions representing state workers, who argue employees will foot the cost of Newsom’s mandate, through expenses like gas and parking.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That’s the Dollar General employee turned tryout football player turned military student turned statistical anomaly in him.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of employee
Noun
  • Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of flunky
Noun
  • The first, Jim O’Neill, is a biotech entrepreneur who lacks a degree in medicine or public health and was widely seen as a yes-man for Kennedy.
    — Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
  • During the rollout of ChatGPT’s GPT-4o model in 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman agreed with X users that the chatbot had a problem with being a yes-man.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of yes-man
Noun
  • Oberding recalled that Kessler estimated such litigation would require an upfront $1 million retainer and that the conversation ended without any plans to pursue it further.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
  • PriorityEvac is contracted with GlobalX to keep a fleet of Airbus 320s on retainer.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of retainer

Browse Nearby Words

cofounders
cog
cogency
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cog. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cog

Nglish: Translation of cog for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cog

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