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
-
Peters was convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to copy images of her county's election computer system before and after state officials updated it in 2021.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Playing fast and loose with federal funds could reflect an issue within a singular agency — inadequate leadership, bad direction or rogue bureaucrats, for example.—
Steve Arentz,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Trump is the one person who can stop this proposal with one word to the federal bureaucrats who put forth this plan.—
Shane Weddle,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The partial government shutdown has meant that TSA officers are working but without regular paychecks.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Authorities said Balat dropped the second device on the west side of East End Avenue, between East 86th and East 87th streets, before officers took Balat and Nikk into custody.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Staffers—from front desk employees to valet—never missed a beat and were full of helpful information both about the hotel, its offerings, and the surrounding area.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Every March, the first Friday is dedicated to appreciating employees by their employers and supervisors, a tradition that began in 1995.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mackinac Island's tourist season is mainly from May through October, and the island needs about 5,000 seasonal workers each year to work as baristas, front desk attendants, wait staff, retail clerks and housekeepers.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Of the 221 positions being cut — which include paraeducators, assistants, clerks, custodians, special-education staff, food service staff and more — 88 are already vacant, the district said.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Steps from the Capitol's West Front and where the worst of the fighting occurred, workers quietly have installed a plaque honoring the officers, three years after it was required by law to be erected.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
More delicate, thin-skinned fruit like mandarins and Meyer lemons require a more hands-on approach using snips.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, mandarins, pomelos, and kumquats are among the most nutrient-dense citrus fruits.—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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