as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
go easy on him—he's just a greenhorn and doesn't have all the experience you do
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of greenhorn
Hence the herring, every greenhorn’s rite of passage on the Wizard.
—
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 11 June 2024
Behind her, a greenhorn named Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) takes photos of Lee taking photos of the dead, and behind Jessie, of course, are Garland and his cinematographer Rob Hardy filming images of both women.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
And if Major Kidd could give the kids a pep talk half as good as Rosie, these greenhorns might sleep a little easier.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024
That's a pretty apt casting given that the three other members are greenhorns in terms of major titles.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for greenhorn
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 11 June 2024
Behind her, a greenhorn named Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) takes photos of Lee taking photos of the dead, and behind Jessie, of course, are Garland and his cinematographer Rob Hardy filming images of both women.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
And if Major Kidd could give the kids a pep talk half as good as Rosie, these greenhorns might sleep a little easier.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024
That's a pretty apt casting given that the three other members are greenhorns in terms of major titles.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for greenhorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greenhorn
Noun
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Prepping a seating chart and staggering hot pot novices with pros can help guests feel taken care of.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The English landowner and novice farmer Jethro Tull hated the idea of giving seeds away to birds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Suites with interconnecting doors across the balcony are a great choice for larger families, and most regular activities include child-friendly options, like the beginner’s surfing classes in calmer waves or toddler bikes for cycling along the nature reserve.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Revelstoke Mountain Resort boasts the most vertical in North America (5,620 feet) and has a rugged feel with chutes and bowls up top and beginner-friendly terrain near the base.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At one station, three apprentices showed the congresswoman paper sketches of plumbing construction designs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
At one station, three apprentices showed the congresswoman paper sketches of plumbing construction designs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those 26 wins were the extent of his success, a great rookie season to be sure, but not exactly a guarantee that Tang was John Wooden in waiting.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Running back Cam Skattebo, who was putting together a strong rookie campaign for the New York Giants in 2025 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 8, played for Sac State in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Arizona State.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For some newcomers to community engagement around immigration, joining such action gives them a sense of purpose and usefulness.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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In January, the governor took the unusual step of snubbing Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a fellow Republican state officeholder, and throwing his support behind political newcomer Nate Sheets in the primary.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The pained look on the freshman’s face and the hush of the Galen Center in those first few seconds was enough to transport at least some of the USC faithful in the crowd back to last March, when Trojan superstar JuJu Watkins injured her knee not far from the same spot.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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But Stangel also praised Hale’s efforts defending Jillian Sanderson, Penn’s standout freshman guard.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Greenhorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greenhorn. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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