as in cowhands
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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Recent Examples of cowboys
Shot over the course of six days in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and London, Levi’s said the production team focused on casting real cowboys, construction workers, climbers and youth to ensure authenticity.
—
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
One of Jerome's hotel lobby bars, J-Bar, is noted as an Old West staple as cowboys and miners once rode their horses through its doors.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
After the cowboys’ home had yellowed to memory, illustrators such as Frederic Remington set about romanticizing the Westerner, a process vigorously seized upon by the chieftains of Hollywood.
—Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
But the federal cowboys who flooded Minnesota streets actually ran headfirst into the state’s formidable civil society — a network of civically engaged people and organizations that makes this a risky place for the federal government to pick a fight with its own citizens.
—Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Excavators working at a rugged eastern Oregon ranch recently uncovered evidence of Chinese immigrants working as cowboys — a role rarely associated with the American West.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
Since 1896, the event celebrating Western culture, cowboys and agriculture has brought millions of people to Fort Worth from around the world.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Jan. 2026
In Christmastime in Mexico’s state of Michoacán, bull riders, cowboys and crowds of fans assemble for an annual spectacle – the jaripeo, or Mexican rodeo and festival.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
One of Jerome's hotel lobby bars, J-Bar, is noted as an Old West staple as cowboys and miners once rode their horses through its doors.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
After the cowboys’ home had yellowed to memory, illustrators such as Frederic Remington set about romanticizing the Westerner, a process vigorously seized upon by the chieftains of Hollywood.
—Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
But the federal cowboys who flooded Minnesota streets actually ran headfirst into the state’s formidable civil society — a network of civically engaged people and organizations that makes this a risky place for the federal government to pick a fight with its own citizens.
—Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Excavators working at a rugged eastern Oregon ranch recently uncovered evidence of Chinese immigrants working as cowboys — a role rarely associated with the American West.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
Since 1896, the event celebrating Western culture, cowboys and agriculture has brought millions of people to Fort Worth from around the world.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Jan. 2026
In Christmastime in Mexico’s state of Michoacán, bull riders, cowboys and crowds of fans assemble for an annual spectacle – the jaripeo, or Mexican rodeo and festival.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowboys
cowhands
Noun
-
There are plenty of places to take a horse, with experienced cowhands to guide the way.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
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Now, the ranch is proactively using drones equipped with speakers and bright lights as stand-in cowhands, WSJ reported.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowboys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowboys. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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