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 Also headquartered at the warehouse is Expendables Upcycler, which recovers everything from unused gaffer’s tape to camera equipment and batteries. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • Cliven Bundy, the family patriarch, rallied hundreds of supporters to block the roundup of his cattle, sparking a days long armed standoff between law enforcement and the Bundy group near the town of Bunkerville, outside of Las Vegas.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Over one night they’re blamed, hunted, and driven apart by their differing belief systems, while the killer, Jacob (James Van Der Beek), the community’s charismatic pastor and de facto patriarch, closes in.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of patriarch
Noun
  • Gausman earned a high-five and slap on the back from manager Craig Counsell in the dugout after his night ended.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Iglesias plunked Heliot Ramos and that was all Braves manager Walt Weiss needed to see.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 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
  • While Diener is the graybeard of the team, 24-year-old Sacar Anim is the youngest.
    — Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 20 July 2022
Definition of graybeard
Noun
  • The first-year skipper said that both Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Strider will begin throwing progressions this week.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Van Hecke was seen as a natural successor to Dunk as Brighton’s skipper before moving to Tottenham.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of skipper
Noun
  • Something, oh, like a roly-poly, 73-year-old manager tumbling ass over teakettle, as the old-timers say, when a bat thrown by Vladimir Guerrero clipped his left hip.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 13 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of old-timer
Noun
  • Instead, music supervisor Thomas Golubić assembled a range of possible tracks and let the sequence reveal itself in the edit.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Kim, 49, a member of San Francisco’s board of supervisors from 2011 to 2019, has touted her advocacy for California’s first $15 minimum wage and making the city’s community college tuition free, among other progressive causes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 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
  • Being good stewards of space is critical to the success of this incredible technology.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The time frame allows the project's stewards and visitors to contemplate not only Cage's legacy but their own as guardians of the organ and its sounds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 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 vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All