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
Guests dressed up as space cowboys, astronauts, and aliens.
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
But in 2005 — the same year an ambitious young Jedi's fall from grace spearheaded a revolution in a galaxy far, far away — another sci-fi movie got busy taking cowboys to the stars.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
The Centerpiece Gala presentation will be the North American premiere of The Cowboy, directed by André Hörmann, a film about aspiring cowboy Crowley McCuistion that begins with him at age 11 learning to rope and ride, and follows him for the next decade.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Learn the ways of the Mexican cowboy.
—David Shortell, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
But in 2005 — the same year an ambitious young Jedi's fall from grace spearheaded a revolution in a galaxy far, far away — another sci-fi movie got busy taking cowboys to the stars.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
The Centerpiece Gala presentation will be the North American premiere of The Cowboy, directed by André Hörmann, a film about aspiring cowboy Crowley McCuistion that begins with him at age 11 learning to rope and ride, and follows him for the next decade.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Learn the ways of the Mexican cowboy.
—David Shortell, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowboy
Noun
-
The Player’s Guide details how to build a character, whether its just a common cowpoke or one of the more unusual options like a huckster or blessed.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
It’s been ten weeks since the robbery, and Theresa and Shermy the dog are the last two urban cowpokes standing at the old makeshift homestead motel.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There are plenty of places to take a horse, with experienced cowhands to guide the way.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Now, the ranch is proactively using drones equipped with speakers and bright lights as stand-in cowhands, WSJ reported.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
5 Aug. 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
-
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
-
Fighting the bill felt like too much for Silva and her husband to handle while parenting a growing number of kids, one of them severely disabled, and working — she as a preschool teacher and he as a rancher.—
Rae Ellen Bichell,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The series stars Josh Duhamel as Staten Kirkland, legacy rancher, alongside Kelly’s Quinn, talented pianist and owner of a lavender farm and Gracie’s Dance Hall.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Instead, their only aim is to protect themselves, which is precisely how the second horseman arrives.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Yellowstone's series finale, which aired on Dec. 15, paid tribute to renowned horseman Bob Avila and tied up several loose ends for the series.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowboy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share