rustler
noun
rus·tler
ˈrə-s(ə-)lər 
plural rustlers
: a person who steals livestock from a farm or ranch
By the time Bijah had reached the age of twenty-three he was a known cattle rustler, and an outlaw with three killings behind him.—
Louis L'Amour
Louis L'AmourA gang of professional sheep rustlers has been stalking our county—and all the local farmers are worried that we're going to be hit next.—James Delingpole
James DelingpoleExamples of rustler in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gone were the twisted souls of the Deep South, replaced with stoic ranch hands, rustlers and gunslingers whose lives and fates played out in the harsh midday sun.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
Hikers on the Hidden Valley trail, above, made their way along a one-mile loop that winds among massive boulders, through what is rumored to have been a cattle rustler’s hide-out.
—New York Times, 8 July 2021
The friendship between the lawman (played by Barry Sullivan) and the gun-toting rustler was fictionalized and greatly exaggerated over the show’s 75 episodes; many historians believe that Garrett actually shot and killed Billy in 1881.
—BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2022
The friendship between the lawman (played by Barry Sullivan) and the gun-toting rustler was fictionalized and greatly exaggerated over the show’s 75 episodes; many historians believe that Sheriff Garrett actually shot and killed Billy in 1881.
—New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022
The rustler is usually a beekeeper or someone familiar with the transportation of bees.
—Fox News, 22 Feb. 2022
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.
Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
Hikers on the Hidden Valley trail, above, made their way along a one-mile loop that winds among massive boulders, through what is rumored to have been a cattle rustler’s hide-out.
—New York Times, 8 July 2021
The friendship between the lawman (played by Barry Sullivan) and the gun-toting rustler was fictionalized and greatly exaggerated over the show’s 75 episodes; many historians believe that Garrett actually shot and killed Billy in 1881.
—BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2022
The friendship between the lawman (played by Barry Sullivan) and the gun-toting rustler was fictionalized and greatly exaggerated over the show’s 75 episodes; many historians believe that Sheriff Garrett actually shot and killed Billy in 1881.
—New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022
The rustler is usually a beekeeper or someone familiar with the transportation of bees.
—Fox News, 22 Feb. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near rustler
Cite this Entry
“Rustler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rustler. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share