1
as in officials
a person who holds a public office
spoke to high-ranking functionaries at the embassy in the hopes that they could help
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bureaucrats
a worker in a government agency
the faceless functionaries at the Internal Revenue Service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of functionaries
More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Proposal 5 was actually a bit of skilled electoral craft on the part of the city’s map functionaries.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Bigelow’s sympathetic eye for her functionaries risks the film being misread as an argument for more robust military funding.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Evil is aided and abetted by the banality of institutions and their functionaries.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Since then, there have been many more arrests—especially of regional functionaries at various levels.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
But this newsletter is more focused on how Trump and his fawning functionaries speak about and for him.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Proposal 5 was actually a bit of skilled electoral craft on the part of the city’s map functionaries.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Bigelow’s sympathetic eye for her functionaries risks the film being misread as an argument for more robust military funding.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Evil is aided and abetted by the banality of institutions and their functionaries.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Since then, there have been many more arrests—especially of regional functionaries at various levels.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
But this newsletter is more focused on how Trump and his fawning functionaries speak about and for him.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionaries
Noun
-
The process for deciding on Powell’s replacement began in September with an 11-candidate field that included past and current Fed officials, economists and Wall Street investment professionals.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Washington County officials issued a shelter-in-place notice for the Langeloth neighborhood over concerns about a potential release of hydrogen peroxide into the air, although the notice has since been lifted.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Goetz understood this disorder not as the product of scant civic resources or state retreat but rather as the result of liberal misrule—do-gooder bureaucrats, failed social programs, and a city that had coddled the undeserving and the criminal.—
Heather Ann Thompson,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The bureaucrats operating Obamacare couldn’t care less about the taxpayers footing the bill.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The officers and the homeowner were not injured in the incident, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Authorities said some of the victims were transported by private vehicle to a local hospital before officers arrived on scene.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The release said many services for which Medicaid provided funds were not actually provided by Hofius or any other employees at the North Star center.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Austin’s factory had about 22,000 employees as of last year.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The statute applies to a wide range of public officials — constitutional officers, state’s attorneys, county clerks, public defenders, members of boards of election commissioners, and both current and former state lawmakers.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Any time someone goes to a polling location to vote, and the clerks are unsure if that person can vote, they are given a provisional ballot.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Overall, immigrants make up more than a quarter of workers who provide direct care in long-term care settings, according to KFF, a health policy research group.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
For many workers, achieving balance has become increasingly important.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The food, half oranges, one-third grapefruit and the rest mandarins, is to be distributed to food banks and nutrition assistance programs.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Happy tidings for those seeking satsuma mandarins, Hokkaido cream puffs and instant yakisoba.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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