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
Often, the preseason games allow coaches to give newer roster members, including rookies and offseason acquisitions, some playing time in a game setting.
—
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins believe that playing with rookies has impacted him negatively.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
The Falcons’ optimism about their rookies increased during the offseason and training camp as coaches watched their bond grow.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The potential best new artist class of ’26 is not an all-star team but a promising roundup of rookies (though many are veterans of TikTok and/or YouTube).
—Lori Majewski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Training camp is less than a week away for the Charlotte Hornets, bringing a close to an offseason highlighted by the addition of four rookies and the franchise’s first summer league championship.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
The Royals have found success with several rookies this season.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
The Browns drafted Shedeur with the expectation of developing him for the future, with Flacco serving as a stopgap until one of the rookies is ready.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2025
And Cleveland’s rookies on defense also showed up against Green Bay.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins believe that playing with rookies has impacted him negatively.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
The Falcons’ optimism about their rookies increased during the offseason and training camp as coaches watched their bond grow.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The potential best new artist class of ’26 is not an all-star team but a promising roundup of rookies (though many are veterans of TikTok and/or YouTube).
—Lori Majewski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Training camp is less than a week away for the Charlotte Hornets, bringing a close to an offseason highlighted by the addition of four rookies and the franchise’s first summer league championship.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
The Royals have found success with several rookies this season.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
The Browns drafted Shedeur with the expectation of developing him for the future, with Flacco serving as a stopgap until one of the rookies is ready.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2025
And Cleveland’s rookies on defense also showed up against Green Bay.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rookies
Noun
-
For seasoned cooks and kitchen novices, cookbook author and nutritionist Robin Miller takes it back to basics with great, family-friendly recipes worth making over and over again.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Instructors are on hand to teach novices.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the sub-alpine forest of Kachina Peak, a popular ski area, are Taos Ski Valley’s via ferrata routes for beginners and advanced climbers alike.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Sep. 2025
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After a few tries, even beginners can pull cafe-quality espresso shots.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Pioneers had a young squad with 14 sophomores or freshmen starting.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Oct. 2025
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Auburn also landed two of the top three junior-college transfers and two top-100 freshmen, an impressive reload following the best season in school history.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For all these internet-savvy newcomers, though, making it to SNL is just the first part of the battle.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
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No word yet on roles to be played by the newcomers.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The house’s historical and architectural value comes from its original creators—husband and wife Sheng Pao Sheng and Shao Fang Sheng, both former apprentices of Wright.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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That’s a key fact given that under labor law, unions represent employees—not independent contractors, interns, apprentices or some other designation short of employment.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rookies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rookies. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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