as in shepherd
a tender of livestock
a lone herdsman stood with his sheep and his dog on the hillside
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Recent Examples of herdsman
During that timeframe, the comet will be tracking rapidly through the constellation Boötes the Herdsman and into Serpens the Serpent on Oct. 24.
—
Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
The Bible recounts how openness to God restored harmony during a conflict over land between the herdsmen of Abram, later named Abraham, and those of his nephew Lot.
—Alistair Budd, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Sep. 2025
Probably the one that’s best known is the one about how Philomelus, a young, impoverished farmer and herdsman, struggled to push his plow through his fields.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Even as the country became Buddhist in the 16th century, the herdsmen found solace in its reassuring rituals and its promise of contact with the spirit world.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for herdsman
Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
The Bible recounts how openness to God restored harmony during a conflict over land between the herdsmen of Abram, later named Abraham, and those of his nephew Lot.
—Alistair Budd, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Sep. 2025
Probably the one that’s best known is the one about how Philomelus, a young, impoverished farmer and herdsman, struggled to push his plow through his fields.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Even as the country became Buddhist in the 16th century, the herdsmen found solace in its reassuring rituals and its promise of contact with the spirit world.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for herdsman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herdsman
Noun
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Directed by Kyle Balda, The Sheep Detectives stars Jackman as George, a shepherd who reads whodunit novels to his sheep at night, not realizing that his woolly companions actually understand the murder mysteries.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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When the shepherd is found dead, his gaggle of sheep, armed with the tropes of countless novels, team up to find the killer.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Last year, clashes between farmers and herders in southwestern Chad left 42 people dead and several homes burned.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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These descendants of Kazakh nomadic herders, who once moved freely across the steppe with their animals, now speak of staying put as a mark of strength rather than constraint.—
Magdalena Stawkowski,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Administration’s cowboy capture of the Venezuelan autocrat Nicolás Maduro, on January 3rd, prompted an airspace closure in the Caribbean, stranding many populations, none as humbled as the American tourists, gone to the islands for rest and relaxation over the winter holiday.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Simmered in a smoky, buttery, extra-creamy sauce, this hearty chicken pasta supper is cowboy-approved.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herdsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herdsman. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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