gaffer

noun

Definition of gaffernext
1
as in patriarch

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in manager

Related 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 gaffer Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter denied efforts by Baldwin and other producers to dismiss the lawsuit brought by gaffer — or chief electrician — Serge Svetnoy. — Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2026 Svetnoy, the film's gaffer, spent the next 20 to 30 minutes rendering aid to Hutchins after realizing the cinematographer had been shot. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026 Baldwin had asked the court to fully dismiss the lawsuit filed by Rust gaffer Serge Svetnoy. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026 The suit was filed by Serge Svetnoy, a gaffer on the New Mexico set, who is claiming emotional distress due to negligence. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gaffer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffer
  1. patriarch
  2. manager
  3. graybeard
  4. skipper
  5. old-timer
  6. supervisor
  7. oldster
  8. steward
Noun
  • After the patriarch’s death, the whole Rabello family comes out.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • Walter Brennan as Grandpa Amos McCoy Walter Brennan played the patriarch of the McCoy family, the tough but lovable Grandpa Amos.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of patriarch
Noun
  • Kenneth Malin, the West Cedar Creek MUD’s general manager, did not respond to a message requesting comment on the district’s discussions with Diode.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 July 2026
  • England manager Graham Taylor’s standing with the English media and public never recovered.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of manager
Noun
  • Sixteen years into the experiment, Twitter is a graybeard by internet years and by corporate standards.
    — Matt Pearce, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
  • Joe Thornton, the Bruins' No. 1 draft pick in 1997, is now an NHL graybeard.
    — Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2022
Definition of graybeard
Noun
  • Schlittler, meanwhile, has a legitimate case to start for the American League, which will be managed by rival Blue Jays skipper John Schneider.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The American League and National League teams will be managed by John Schneider and Dave Roberts, respectively, the skippers of last year’s World Series clubs.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of skipper
Noun
  • The three-wheelers are a far cry from the old-timers that only a year ago cruised the streets spewing clouds of black smoke.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Designed with the needs of senior dogs in mind, this recipe helps keep beloved old-timers going strong.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of old-timer
Noun
  • Her Bojangles supervisor then removed her from the schedule and locked her out of the company system.
    — Julia Coin July 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
  • Local 42, which represents most fire department employees, argued the jobs were not supervisory positions and therefore belonged in its bargaining unit rather than the supervisors’ union.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Definition of supervisor
Noun
  • Enough with the oldsters, what about those kids?
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
  • With each passing day, its oldster cast — including Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Geena Davis — is closer to the grave.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Definition of oldster
Noun
  • Government must continuously look for ways to improve services while being responsible stewards of public resources.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
  • The stewards of the forest About 100 miles northwest of the Tahoe Basin, lower down in the foothills, survivors of the epic 2018 Camp fire that destroyed the town of Paradise have a very different relationship with forest stewards.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of steward

Browse Nearby Words

gaffed
gaffer
gaffers
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Gaffer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffer. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All