emissaries

noun

plural of emissary
1
as in ambassadors
a person sent on a mission to represent another most of the industrialized nations of the world sent emissaries to the conference on global warming

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in spies
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country the embassy's staff likely contains at least one emissary who reports to the home country's chief of intelligence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 emissaries According to the news release, the school is also expanding its participation in the Shinshinim program—two new young emissaries from Israel will join the school for a year before their army service. — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026 Sick of It All were NYHC’s most welcoming emissaries, and their mouthpiece was Lou Koller, whose death was announced Friday. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2026 The president’s top-two emissaries also happen to be the highest-profile potential candidates to succeed him. — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 In 2021, Biden emissaries turned to the Roman Catholic Church for help, former Biden-era officials told USA TODAY. — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026 Expect emissaries from the ever-changing world of media. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026 The overconfidence of the pro-Trump push in country music pre- and postelection is backfiring on many of its most enthusiastic emissaries. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026 The ruling marks a notable victory for emissaries of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, who have often been met with legal challenges when establishing centers. — Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026 After sharing a meal and laying out gifts, the emissaries would insist that the Indians move to where the animals were plentiful. — Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emissaries
  1. ambassadors
  2. spies
  3. envoys
  4. operatives
  5. representatives
  6. agents
  7. delegates
  8. ministers
Noun
  • In all, 57 Trump officials are worth at least $100 million, including 17 ambassadors and the remaining 40 in senior posts across the executive branch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The twins are both signed to Storm Model Management, appear regularly at fashion weeks around the globe and are brand ambassadors for the British jewelry label Boodles and the accessories label Aspinal of London.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambassadors
Noun
  • Slow Horses stars Oldman as Lamb, a brilliant but cantankerous leader of dysfunctional spies who have made career-ending mistakes and end up at a dumping ground MI5 unit known as Slough House.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Swashbuckling adventures and war epics proliferated in the ’30s and ’40s, while things took a turn toward spies, cops, assassins, and sci-fi in later generations.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of spies
Noun
  • Kushner was one of a trio of envoys meeting with al-Hayya, with officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also there.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • When British envoys arrive, promising support for Rukumba’s independence from Uganda in exchange for access to the snow for scientific research, the village committee embraces the deal as progress.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of envoys
Noun
  • Wild Horse Nine stars Malkovich and Rockwell as two CIA operatives who travel from Santiago, Chile, to Easter Island amid the tense lead-up to the South American nation’s 1973 coup.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Israel continues to clash with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Hamas operatives in Gaza, while the Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea.
    — Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of operatives
Noun
  • Paramount Skydance representatives are expected to meet on Monday with the California Attorney General’s office to discuss a potential settlement of the states’ antitrust case, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Caruso was among the 95 state representatives who voted to pass the new law in 2023; 14 lawmakers voted against it.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of representatives
Noun
  • Cheap inference also creates elasticity, since agents that can afford to run continuously consume far more.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Hennepin County’s top prosecutor calls the interstate clash over Castro’s transfer a needless test of states’ duty to honor extradition — and of whether federal agents can evade accountability.
    — Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of agents
Noun
  • Addressing thousands of officials and delegates at the Great Hall of the People, Xi portrayed China as a country that was facing tough times, but one that would emerge unscathed.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Its members included farmers, laborers, and reformers, and delegates included representatives from local unions and labor bodies.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of delegates
Noun
  • However, the fact that the European ministers who provide funding for Ariane 6 balked at these upgrades may indicate growing impatience with the rocket’s cost.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026
  • NurPhoto via Getty Images Last month, dozens of heads of state, defense ministers, policymakers, and defense experts traveled to Ankara for the 2026 NATO Summit.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of ministers

Browse Nearby Words

emirs
emissaries
emissary
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Emissaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emissaries. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on emissaries

Nglish: Translation of emissaries for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All