as in novices
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
although a star in his old sport of basketball, he was still just a rookie as far as baseball was concerned
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Recent Examples of rookies
Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros has leaned heavily on younger players to start the season, such as rookies Jordynn Dudley and Andrea Kitahata.
—
Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Murakami, who went 3 for 5, joined Montgomery, Matt Davidson (2017), Ron Kittle (1983) and Rich McKinney (1970) as the only rookies in White Sox history to hit a homer in four straight games.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The foundation of this rebuild will be established when the duo makes 11 picks in the seven rounds of the NFL draft from Thursday through Saturday, plus adds other undrafted rookies through the remainder of the weekend.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
More rookies will need to be coming, too.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
While the rookies haven’t had time to swap stories with Burke about their UCLA experiences, there’s an additional level of comfort just having that point of connection.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
The Nets just spent a season trying to give five first-round rookies enough opportunity to grow without losing the shape of the team around them.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
One advantage that Jakucionis has over other NBA rookies is this season didn’t mark his first professional experience.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
In that time, the club added 26 players who were rookies when stepping on to AHL ice.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Murakami, who went 3 for 5, joined Montgomery, Matt Davidson (2017), Ron Kittle (1983) and Rich McKinney (1970) as the only rookies in White Sox history to hit a homer in four straight games.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The foundation of this rebuild will be established when the duo makes 11 picks in the seven rounds of the NFL draft from Thursday through Saturday, plus adds other undrafted rookies through the remainder of the weekend.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
More rookies will need to be coming, too.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
While the rookies haven’t had time to swap stories with Burke about their UCLA experiences, there’s an additional level of comfort just having that point of connection.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
The Nets just spent a season trying to give five first-round rookies enough opportunity to grow without losing the shape of the team around them.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
One advantage that Jakucionis has over other NBA rookies is this season didn’t mark his first professional experience.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
In that time, the club added 26 players who were rookies when stepping on to AHL ice.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rookies
Noun
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In contrast, a study led by Active Site, a research nonprofit that studies the use of AI in synthetic biology, found that AI help did not lead to significant differences in the ability of novices to complete the complex workflow to produce a virus in a biosafety laboratory.—
Stephen D. Turner,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
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The beginners class is for novices 18 and older who want instruction and practice combined with play, according to the Dundee Township Park District website.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That's a time-efficient way of improving your VO2 max, particularly for beginners.—
Teresa Maalouf,
Verywell Health,
17 Apr. 2026
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The best silver bar sizes for most beginners are 1-ounce and 10-ounce.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The unit also added transfer Jailen Duffie and freshmen Elijah Keys and Amarion Queen.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
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But that does not mean other freshmen won’t see the field.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On a training camp roster that features 11 newcomers to the Sun, Leger-Walker and Kneepkens came in with an instant chemistry and understanding of each other’s games that is helping their integration with the rest of the team.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
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After a turbulent 2025 season at the quarterback position, marred by injuries, shaky decision making, and constant pressure, the signal-caller room returns with valuable experience, bolstered by two newcomers who have already made a strong early impression.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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During the Renaissance, master painters typically employed apprentices to work alongside them as the apprentices learned their craft.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2026
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Some of the kinder ones would give a Christmas tip if the apprentices did a good job cleaning their boots but others, basking in the new money of the Premier League, preferred to peacock.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rookies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rookies. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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