as in novices
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
every year the coaches have to deal with rooks who don't know the rules yet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in plucks
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
once you learn to recognize these swindler's tricks, no one will be able to use them to rook you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rooks
Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
But this isn’t the Queen’s Gambit, and at 4 and 6, Bluey and Bingo aren’t interested in prawns (pawns), castle heads (rooks), or pom pom elves (bishops).
—Hannah Silverman, Parents, 15 Nov. 2025
Noun
This strategy has been seen among wild jackdaws and wild rooks.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
But this isn’t the Queen’s Gambit, and at 4 and 6, Bluey and Bingo aren’t interested in prawns (pawns), castle heads (rooks), or pom pom elves (bishops).
—Hannah Silverman, Parents, 15 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rooks
Noun
-
Game after game, stadiums were filled to capacity, packed not only with tourists and die-hard fans but also with soccer novices who came out of curiosity and because tickets were relatively affordable, according to soccer historians.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
9 May 2026
-
Both of the Broadway novices are proudly bearing souvenirs of other passion projects.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carrera now plucks the melody in single notes.—
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets construction apprentices during a visit to London South Bank Technical College on May 12, 2026 in London, England.—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
Arthur Bryant’s and Gates Bar-B-Q, whose origins can be traced back to Henry Perry through his apprentices decades ago.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
4 May 2026
Verb
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In games like Tuesday, when that deep postseason run seems realistic, UCLA pops the ball around on offense and communicates and hustles to overcome its deficiencies on defense.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Compared to the behemoth Acela, which hustles hundreds of thousands of riders between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC each month, Amtrak's Mardi Gras line is downright petite—just two 58-seat coaches, plus a café car and a 14-seat Business Class car.—
Kara Newman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sennecke’s big postseason continues With a goal in his fourth consecutive game, Sennecke joined Auston Matthews, Nicklas Backstrom and Logan Couture as rookies with four-game goal streaks in the playoffs over the last 25 years.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Tabor called it a numbers game, as the team opted to squeeze additional undrafted rookies onto the roster.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The top-two primary system also cheats voters by pushing all candidates onto one primary ballot.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
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Inspired by real stories, Eva Marcille portrays a wife who miraculously cheats death after her husband’s (Tyler Lepley) betrayal in Pushed Off a Plane and Survived airing on February 28.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These recipes are great for beginners learning how to cook chicken in a skillet, or for the more experienced chefs looking for new recipes to add to their weekly dinner rotation.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
Group of beginners, hobbyists and professionals who like to take and share photos.—
Staff Report,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2026
Verb
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And Jaden McDaniels was right, which stings even more.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
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Nothing stings more than seeing a shipping fee tacked on top of an order that was already a splurge.—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rooks. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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