cowboy

noun

ˈkau̇-ˌbȯi How to pronounce cowboy (audio)
Definition of cowboynext
as in cowpoke
a hired hand who tends cattle or horses at a ranch or on the range cowboys were rounding up the cattle for branding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cowboy Doing so, claims the personal knowledge that disciplinary training and structures like the vita elide and offers a bridge to more fully understand the grief and loss the families in the cowboy suit tragedy experienced. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 Here, fertile uplands, farms, and rolling pastures offer a different view of the island—and a chance to learn about its paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, traditions. — Kevin Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2026 These rustic touches give the space a taste of cowboy culture without feeling overbearing. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Snoopy and Woodstock line the outside of the bowl in costumes like cowboys, mummies, bandits, and witches. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowboy
  1. cowpoke
  2. cowhand
  3. buckaroo
  4. horseman
  5. cowman
  6. rancher
Noun
  • But the grizzled former Man in Black and man-who-failed-to-ground-Maverick isn’t known for playing the type of gruff ol’ cowpoke who’s about to break into song.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
  • The all-inclusive dude ranch is about a 90-minute drive from Reno, Nevada, and has invited travelers to get in touch with their inner cowpoke since 1962.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of cowpoke
Noun
  • Eastwood portrayed Rowdy Yates, the young cowhand who eventually matures into a leader.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Residents and visitors will line the streets to watch cowhands from various ranches herd more than 30 Longhorns through town, a tradition dating back to when the parade was a downtown cattle drive.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Definition of cowhand
Noun
  • This hearty meal will satisfy your little (and big) buckaroos.
    — Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
  • The project remains in its early stages, but initial details suggest a more casual, family-friendly approach that aligns with the tone of the buckaroo development.
    — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Definition of buckaroo
Noun
  • County animal control partnered with JR Raulerson, a professional horseman who had originally been hired by Outlaw's owner.
    — CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • However, building his own business meant leaving the family operation, developing relationships abroad, and learning with his own money how little an experienced horseman can even control.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of horseman
Noun
  • The picture-perfect cowman’s paradise of Stockyards City is true to its stripes—and nowhere is this more evident than in Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The reply of my friend and hunting companion was one of those quaint, rasping epithets which only a cowman can manage when everything has gone wrong.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of cowman
Noun
  • Avelino Delgado, a sixty-eight-year-old rancher who lives alone on his land, without an internet connection or a phone, belongs to this cohort.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • After a rancher’s dog discovered a ferret colony in Wyoming, scientists rallied to save the species nearly undone by humans’ ravenous expansion.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of rancher

Browse Nearby Words

cowards
cowboy
cowboy hat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on cowboy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cowboy

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