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
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 cowboy
This veteran droid is an even more Disneyfied version of VINCENT, who talks — for some reason — with the voice of legendary screen cowboy Slim Pickens.
—
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The late Dan Smith, a Vietnam veteran, old-school west Texas cowboy who died in his son’s arms, a moment Mike would relive for months through night terrors and daytime flashbacks.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
It is directed by Potsy Ponciroli and also stars Hassie Harrison, and centers on a cowboy who must put his skills to the test outside the rodeo.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
The Rescue which stars Brandon Sklenar and Hassie Harrison is a modern day western in which a rodeo cowboy’s skills are put to the test outside the arena.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The late Dan Smith, a Vietnam veteran, old-school west Texas cowboy who died in his son’s arms, a moment Mike would relive for months through night terrors and daytime flashbacks.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
It is directed by Potsy Ponciroli and also stars Hassie Harrison, and centers on a cowboy who must put his skills to the test outside the rodeo.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
The Rescue which stars Brandon Sklenar and Hassie Harrison is a modern day western in which a rodeo cowboy’s skills are put to the test outside the arena.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowboy
Noun
-
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
-
For cowpokes looking to escape winter’s bite, White Stallion Ranch operates year-round, offering trail rides among the cactuses on 3,000 acres bordering Saguaro National Park.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Nov. 2025
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
Noun
-
Joe worked as a cowpuncher in Flagler, Colo., making $150 a day tending to cattle on horseback.—
Jose A. Del Real,
Washington Post,
6 Nov. 2022
Noun
-
There are muddy buckaroo boots worn by some lucky child, and the tiny boots of Major Lynn White (1838-1915), then the world’s smallest man.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The group disqualifies him, however, after researchers discover his buckaroo abilities are limited to wearing expensive Stetson hats and tripping on his lasso.—
Gustavo ArellanoColumnist,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Dec. 2022
Noun
-
As foretold in the indie-rock book of Revelations, the fourth horseman from Animal Collective is finally releasing his debut solo album.—
Dan Reilly,
Vulture,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Initially, the Fort Worth Stockyards’ twice daily cattle drive was paused out of caution after the Texas Animal Health Commission and The Texas Department of Agriculture called on horsemen to monitor their herds and take biohazard precautions.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Nov. 2025
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
Noun
-
Yet painful reminders still linger on the rancher's land.—
Kelly Werthmann,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
As a journalist with a deep interest in our public lands, and a working rancher who grazes his own cattle on BLM ground in the same part of Montana where AP has been acquiring land, McKean is uniquely positioned at the intersection of all this.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cowboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowboy. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
