COGS Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

cogs

noun

plural of cog

as in underlings

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for cogs

Noun

Later, Bianco directed his underlings to begin counting those ballots by hand — a potential felony under state law, which forbids anyone other than election officials from so much as touching a ballot container.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
With her severe bob and icy demeanor, Miranda chills her underlings to the bone.

— Jami Ganz, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of underlings

Noun

Investigators have accused one of his subordinates of running a fraud scheme, though Kravchenko himself has not been charged or named a suspect.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Additionally, while there are government rules against federal employees accepting gifts from subordinates or officials who make less than themselves, subordinates are not barred from receiving gifts from superiors.

— Kristin Brown, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of subordinates

Noun

Two employees alleged that SKDK, a public affairs firm first hired by UCLA amid turmoil during pro-Palestinian protests, was used to pitch news coverage of Osako’s 2024 reappointment.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Eiffel Tower workers protested with a one-day strike after tower management allegedly replaced some women employees for the duration of a 20-minute visit by monks from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS.

— Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of employees

Noun

Surrounding yourself with a bunch of yes-men is not a recipe for success—at least according to AT&T CEO John Stankey.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
High-profile right-wing accounts that previously served as yes-men for Musk—such as Ian Miles Cheong, a Malaysian who purportedly lives in the United Arab Emirates and posts incessant, racist drivel about American politics—have melted down over the platform’s decision to dox users.

— Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2025

Definition of yes-men

Noun

Without fiefdoms structuring the distribution of land, the division of labor, and the provision of military protection, agents of state coercion were needed to ensure that former serfs would serve as wage laborers.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
The copper rivets, still used across jean designs today, were initially added to prevent rips frequently experienced by miners and other laborers.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of laborers

Noun

Containment efforts have also been hamstrung by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and intense population movements.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
How the Saver’s Match will work The new Saver’s Match is part of an ongoing broader effort to help workers save for retirement.

— Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of workers

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“Cogs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogs. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cogs

noun

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