bureaucrats

Definition of bureaucratsnext
plural of bureaucrat
as in officials
a worker in a government agency the bureaucrats at the town hall seem to think that we need a building permit to build a tree house

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 bureaucrats When Vance attended the annual Munich Security Conference as a first-term senator, in 2024, he got fed up with the European Union bureaucrats and took off early to reconnect with Dreher, who had come from Budapest, over beer and sausages. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026 That’s assuming state bureaucrats can even figure out the billionaires’ worth. Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026 Biden bureaucrats and political appointees were more interested in protecting their bureaucratic turf than facilitating the care veterans needed. Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026 Put the undocumented immigrants and lifelong bureaucrats and NATO and blue cities on watch. Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026 Freed from the ideologues who have held them hostage, even most bureaucrats serving in the Islamic Republic today could rediscover the best of our history and reorient their efforts toward our nation’s improvement. Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026 The bureaucrats operating Obamacare couldn’t care less about the taxpayers footing the bill. Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026 Likewise, empowering state bureaucrats to value individual portfolios – which are often illiquid and not easy to value – is textbook government bloat, something national voters have no tolerance for. Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026 Removing those financial incentives would allow care to be organized around quality and access rather than distorting care into forms most favored by bureaucrats. Tomas J. Philipson, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bureaucrats
Noun
  • Former Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because the Biden administration did not send any diplomatic officials as a boycott over human rights concerns.
    MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
  • As a politicized national fight over waste, fraud and abuse led by Republicans have targeted California and its Democratic leadership, Bonta and other state officials have moved swiftly to combat the claims.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • All other government employees are temporarily furloughed.
    Riley Beggin, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
  • To copy their methods and turn them back into employees.
    Paul Fischer, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Local governments levy taxes, assessors value property, multiple appeals bodies issue rulings, clerks calculate rates, treasurers prepare bills and the Illinois Department of Revenue oversees uniformity.
    Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The order described allegations that a judge subjected clerks to harassment, verbal abuse and erratic behavior during the COVID pandemic.
    Carrie Johnson, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
    Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The incident, which released flammable hydrocarbons, injured four workers and forced 14 schools into lockdown.
    Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bureaucrats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bureaucrats. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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