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
The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Boötes, also known as the herdsman, the American Meteor Society’s Lunsford said via email.
—
Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026
Tens of thousands of Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, have been murdered by terrorists such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as violent Fulani herdsmen, over the past decade.
—Kingsley Moghalu, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 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
See All Example Sentences for herdsman
Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026
Tens of thousands of Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, have been murdered by terrorists such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as violent Fulani herdsmen, over the past decade.
—Kingsley Moghalu, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 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
See All Example Sentences for herdsman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herdsman
Noun
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Others called out its shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and a Sunday roast dinner as must-haves.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
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Said Rahmani often compared his life story to the plot of Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, in which a young shepherd sets off on a long and winding journey to find his treasure, only to learn that it was buried near his home all along.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Noun
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At the same time, persistent drought across northern Kenya has forced thousands of herders to take up fishing, putting even greater pressure on an already delicate ecosystem and fueling intense competition.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
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And so then also, guests are able to walk with nomadic herders, like across the land with camels or with or with cows and to like, learn about this ancient practice.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
15 May 2026
Noun
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This has resulted in these two states also having the most Black cowboys, LeBlanc says—like legendary Oklahoma cowboy Bass Reeves, who served as deputy marshal in Oklahoma Territory during the late 19th century, said to have inspired The Lone Ranger.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Think shows that include Argentine cowboys known as gauchos, Brazilian samba dancers, West African (Moko Jumbie) stilt walkers.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herdsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herdsman. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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