rooks 1 of 2

noun

plural of rook
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rooks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rook
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rooks
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
  1. novices
  2. plucks
  3. apprentices
  4. hustles
  5. rookies
  6. cheats
  7. beginners
  8. stings
Noun
  • To capture some of that essence, Guitar Center is trying to make its stores a place to hang out for novices and pros alike.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The sizable number of offerings in every box can help bean novices get acquainted with new products and strengthen their bond with favorites.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of novices
Verb
  • Trump sometimes plucks memes from a sprawling ecosystem of online conservative supporters, and sometimes his government staff produces them as part of their official messaging.
    — Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of plucks
Noun
  • For carpenters, delays and poor weather conditions can disrupt the working hours apprentices need to complete their program, causing some to quit.
    — Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The new funding will allow the school to add 16 apprentices, for a total of 51 trainees.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprentices
Verb
  • Jessica Gonzalez hustles behind her booth at the recent Renegade Craft Fair, frantically ringing up sales, answering questions and packaging her beeswax candles.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Despite concerns that chip stocks could be topping out as the industry hustles to boost supply, Wall Street thinks Micron still has plenty of room to run.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 22 June 2026
Definition of hustles
Noun
  • Brewers manager Pat Murphy basically buried his rookies for making mistakes in the previous half-inning.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • So, the Hawks rolled with mostly their rookies, young pieces, two-way and training-camp players.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of rookies
Verb
  • Any forward who cheats for defence, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has for much of his career, will play an elevated role on a Babcock team.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Definition of cheats
Noun
  • Coach Mike Brown said the program welcomes beginners and experienced runners, with an emphasis on effort and improvement.
    — Donald Fountain, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The machine handles the setup steps that usually trip up beginners.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginners
Verb
  • Clement famously tried to get the Supreme Court to overturn President Obama's signature health care law, a loss that still stings.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
  • General Mills spun off Darden Restaurants in 1995, and then Darden sold Red Lobster in 2014, in a deal with the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital that still stings many veterans to this day.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stings

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rooking
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Cite this Entry

“Rooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rooks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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