as in janitor
a person who tends a door those who are hopelessly unhip have little chance of making past the club's gatekeeper and his velvet rope

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 gatekeeper Modern CISOs—no longer just gatekeepers of firewalls and threat feeds—are expected to operate as technical experts and strategic leaders. Steve Carter, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 The community’s festive send-off identifies this as an important rite of passage, though the gatekeeper reminds Spike that no rescuers or search parties will be sent after colonists that fail to return. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025 It's directed at the gatekeepers—the ones who shape discourse and decide whose pain is worthy of acknowledgment. MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025 Harvey Weinstein was a wealthy Hollywood gatekeeper, a titan of movies and television for decades. Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for gatekeeper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gatekeeper
Noun
  • Over a decades-long tenure at SEIU, Huerta oversaw organizing campaigns involving thousands of janitors and other service workers.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 June 2025
  • At 55, Goodall worked as a middle school janitor in Terre Haute, Ind.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • The only hint of the hotel was a porter who greeted me before my bag was swiftly exchanged for a glass of champagne at check-in.
    Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2025
  • Hotels, recognizing that need, developed a person for the job: porters to move luggage.
    Katherine LaGrave, AFAR Media, 26 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gatekeeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gatekeeper. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gatekeeper

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!