as in janitors
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
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Recent Examples of gatekeepers
This direct-to-consumer approach bypasses traditional media gatekeepers and makes fans feel like insiders rather than passive consumers.
—
Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
These effects depended on two proteins that act as gatekeepers to control the activity of dopamine neurons and dopamine levels.
—Habibeh Khoshbouei, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
Americans are still the gatekeepers [in Hollywood], and there are some people who do not want the dominant narrative about this region to be challenged.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Jan. 2026
Shirley’s experience could only happen in today’s media and political environment – where seemingly anyone can go viral, helped along by social media gatekeepers like Musk.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Concern over antisemitism on the right has split the conservative world in two—and GOP gatekeepers have lost the ability to contain it.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2025
Doctors have long been gatekeepers to medical technology, but now technology could serve as a gatekeeper to doctors.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Young filmmakers still cling to traditional distribution — festivals, theaters, gatekeepers — because of a romantic Hollywood fantasy we were all raised on.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2025
Since its launch in 2022, the league has faced stiff resistance from golf’s traditional gatekeepers.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
These effects depended on two proteins that act as gatekeepers to control the activity of dopamine neurons and dopamine levels.
—Habibeh Khoshbouei, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
Americans are still the gatekeepers [in Hollywood], and there are some people who do not want the dominant narrative about this region to be challenged.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Jan. 2026
Shirley’s experience could only happen in today’s media and political environment – where seemingly anyone can go viral, helped along by social media gatekeepers like Musk.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Concern over antisemitism on the right has split the conservative world in two—and GOP gatekeepers have lost the ability to contain it.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2025
Doctors have long been gatekeepers to medical technology, but now technology could serve as a gatekeeper to doctors.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Young filmmakers still cling to traditional distribution — festivals, theaters, gatekeepers — because of a romantic Hollywood fantasy we were all raised on.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2025
Since its launch in 2022, the league has faced stiff resistance from golf’s traditional gatekeepers.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gatekeepers
Noun
-
Eight Democratic candidates appeared at a forum sponsored by SEIU United Service Workers West, which represents more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport service employees and other workers in California.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Its member organizations include SEIU Healthcare and Locals 1 and 73, representing workers across various industries, including janitors, child care workers, and private security officers and doormen.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Best known as Travelers Rest’s first craft brewery, this spot is a local favorite popular for its world-class selection of beers, with everything from pale ales to porters.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the porters, who'd carried all of the 60 Minutes gear up the mountain, had already made it to Base Camp and were headed back down, on to their next job.—
Cecilia Vega,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gatekeepers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gatekeepers. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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