as in moderate
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
several centrist candidates were elected, apparently in a reaction against the extremists
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in middle-of-the-roader
a person who holds moderate views
the centrists will most likely rally behind the candidate who favors reforming the government program—not abolishing it entirely
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of centrist
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
But that money largely helped progressives, allowing for social justice activist Analilia Mejia to win the primary over Malinowski, which infuriated centrist Democrats.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2026
Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The centrist Bean is incorrectly portrayed in its ads as a progressive architect of Obamacare.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for centrist
Adjective
Mahan, who’s pitching himself in the gubernatorial race as a centrist Democrat and favorite of Silicon Valley, is also on board with restrictions — at least in some form.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
But that money largely helped progressives, allowing for social justice activist Analilia Mejia to win the primary over Malinowski, which infuriated centrist Democrats.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
The race pits a centrist sitting governor, Janet Mills, against a progressive firebrand, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer, military veteran and former private military contractor who has built momentum in recent months.
—Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The centrist Bean is incorrectly portrayed in its ads as a progressive architect of Obamacare.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for centrist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for centrist
Adjective
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Neither Hohmann nor Zoulek thought McAdams was the right fit for the new district given his more moderate past.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Take, for example, radiation, which with moderate exposures can increase an astronaut’s long-term risk of cancer and with heavy doses can cause acute sickness.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Research facilities now located in multiple regions will fall under a central research organization based in Fort Collins, the agency said.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Parts of central, north central, and southwest Montana could get 40 mph winds and up to 8 inches of snow in areas below 5,000 feet and up to 16 inches above 5,000 feet from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Centrist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/centrist. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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