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Synonyms

pen pusher

American  

noun

Informal.

  1. pencil pusher.

Etymology

Origin of pen pusher

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In Charlotte, N.C., four candidates in the Central High School election, disdaining the conventional office titles�president, vice president, secretary, treasurer�announced that they were running for "big boss, little boss, pen pusher and moneybags."

From Time Magazine Archive

Some cautious pen pusher behind a desk, he thought chaotically.

From Decision by Smith, H. R.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.