cog in the wheel

Idioms  

1. Also, cog in the machine. One who holds a minor but necessary post in a large organization, as in Frank knew he was just a cog in the wheel of this giant corporation. This term alludes to the role of the mechanical cog, one of the teeth on a wheel or gear that, by engaging other teeth, transmits or receives motion. Used figuratively since about 1930, it sometimes is put as small cog in a large wheel, emphasizing a person's lack of importance.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cog in the wheel

“The worst cog in the wheel has always been CEQA,” Rand said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2025

Djaoui Cisse was a key cog in the wheel of a France side that reached the semi-finals at this year's championships.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2025

They wanted to keep their place as a cog in the wheel.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2022

Constitution are the real cog in the wheel of justice.

From Washington Times ● May 24, 2018

She was a cog in the wheel, a grain of dust in the whirlwind, a morsel of flesh and blood for the hungry maw of a wild and passing monster of progress.

From The U. P. Trail by Zane Grey

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