as in minion
disapproving
a very loyal member of an organization (such as a company or political party) who always obeys orders
party apparatchiks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apparatchik
Khamenei will decide which hardline apparatchik appears on the ballot to replace him.
—
Karl Vick, TIME, 23 May 2024
There were several oligarchs who helped Putin rise from a K.G.B. apparatchik in Leningrad to autocrat in the Kremlin.
—Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
In the intensely ideological and conformist atmosphere of today’s China, no apparatchik will depart from the safety of the party line without a clear signal from the leader.
—Danny Russel, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2021
Decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, Cold War ideology continues to form Western perceptions of the Eastern Bloc as a backward region, uniformly totalitarian, where everybody was either an apparatchik or a dissident.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for apparatchik
Karl Vick, TIME, 23 May 2024
There were several oligarchs who helped Putin rise from a K.G.B. apparatchik in Leningrad to autocrat in the Kremlin.
—Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
In the intensely ideological and conformist atmosphere of today’s China, no apparatchik will depart from the safety of the party line without a clear signal from the leader.
—Danny Russel, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2021
Decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, Cold War ideology continues to form Western perceptions of the Eastern Bloc as a backward region, uniformly totalitarian, where everybody was either an apparatchik or a dissident.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for apparatchik
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apparatchik
Noun
-
Oswald’s realm and his penguins and his minions and his passion.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
3 June 2025
-
His minions burst into federal office buildings, humiliating staffers.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
Under current policy, decisions to separate soldiers outside standard regulatory grounds rest solely with the secretary of the Army — a power typically reserved for exceptional circumstances.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
30 May 2025
-
Federal prosecutors allege Tian sold sensitive military information to former soldier Ruoyu Duan, who would allegedly receive money from individuals residing in China.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Here in the first city, the Catholic Church is at an extended crossroads of its own, calling for its leaders and adherents to engage in strategic planning and soul-searching of their own.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
-
Even conscientious adherents to national security protocols acknowledge that classified U.S. government systems are far from convenient.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
Christian Science Monitor,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Orwell’s warnings apply across the board, not just when obvious despots and lackeys let their fascist flags fly.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
-
Shawn reluctantly agrees, but is humiliated when Cory starts acting corny around his friend Gambling Dan (Phil Buckman), and his lackey, Louie (Weiss).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Apparatchik.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apparatchik. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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