cowboy

noun

ˈkau̇-ˌbȯi How to pronounce cowboy (audio)
Definition of cowboynext
as in cowpoke
a hired hand who tends cattle or horses at a ranch or on the range cowboys were rounding up the cattle for branding

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 cowboy David Beckham channeled his inner cowboy in preparation for the FIFA World Cup match played between France and Spain. — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 As early as the 1930s, Levi’s advertisements romanticized cowboys, the Wild West, the rugged frontier lifestyle. — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 Back on the bus, Carlo lay on the faux leather benches, watching the FIFA World Cup and black-and-white cowboy movies. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 11 July 2026 One episode, shot after his late winner had seen off Ivory Coast in Dallas during the round of 32, centred on Haaland visiting Wild Bill’s Western Store to get kitted out like a cowboy. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowboy
  1. cowpoke
  2. cowhand
  3. buckaroo
  4. horseman
  5. cowman
  6. rancher
Noun
  • But the grizzled former Man in Black and man-who-failed-to-ground-Maverick isn’t known for playing the type of gruff ol’ cowpoke who’s about to break into song.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
  • The all-inclusive dude ranch is about a 90-minute drive from Reno, Nevada, and has invited travelers to get in touch with their inner cowpoke since 1962.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of cowpoke
Noun
  • Residents and visitors will line the streets to watch cowhands from various ranches herd more than 30 Longhorns through town, a tradition dating back to when the parade was a downtown cattle drive.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • There are plenty of places to take a horse, with experienced cowhands to guide the way.
    — Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of cowhand
Noun
  • This hearty meal will satisfy your little (and big) buckaroos.
    — Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
  • The project remains in its early stages, but initial details suggest a more casual, family-friendly approach that aligns with the tone of the buckaroo development.
    — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Definition of buckaroo
Noun
  • Before achieving fame as a pilot, Baracca was an accomplished cavalry commander and horseman.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
  • For Daniel Bey, a Kansas City, Kansas, horseman and team roper who competed in last year’s event, the expansion is a clear sign that the rodeo resonated with the community.
    — J.M. Banks June 24, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026
Definition of horseman
Noun
  • The picture-perfect cowman’s paradise of Stockyards City is true to its stripes—and nowhere is this more evident than in Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The reply of my friend and hunting companion was one of those quaint, rasping epithets which only a cowman can manage when everything has gone wrong.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of cowman
Noun
  • Rooms Each Faraway property has its own fictional muse or narrative; Jackson’s is a first-generation rancher named Hattie Quinn.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
  • The skeleton, which is about 67 million years old, is nicknamed Gus after the late Gary ‘Gus’ Licking, a cattle rancher from Harding County, South Dakota, who owned the land where the specimen was found.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of rancher

Browse Nearby Words

cowards
cowboy
cowboy hat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cowboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowboy. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cowboy

Nglish: Translation of cowboy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cowboy

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