as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
a highly influential economist whose acolytes can be found at many major universities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of acolyte
And Pettigrew, one of Voldemort’s creepy acolytes, is revealed to be magically hiding in plain sight as Ron Weasley’s pet rat Scabbers for most of the book.
—
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
Trump’s acolytes and enablers have adopted this line, seemingly as a matter of reflex.
—Eric Lutz, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
Voters rejected Maduro and his acolytes in July 2024, with close to 70 percent of the vote going to González, and indirectly Machado.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
The event was co-opted as a starring vehicle for the president with acolytes as co-stars.
—Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acolyte
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
Trump’s acolytes and enablers have adopted this line, seemingly as a matter of reflex.
—Eric Lutz, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
Voters rejected Maduro and his acolytes in July 2024, with close to 70 percent of the vote going to González, and indirectly Machado.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
The event was co-opted as a starring vehicle for the president with acolytes as co-stars.
—Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acolyte
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acolyte
Noun
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Its adherents believe that on social media and in other online spaces, only a few real people create posts, comments, and images.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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His lawyers sought a sentence of no more than 20 years, citing his troubles as the child of a church adherent.—
Mari Yamaguchi,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Japanese followers were expected to contribute more than others.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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In an Instagram story on Monday, Katy Perry asked her followers to call their senators to ask them to block the appropriations bill that includes funding for DHS.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hippocrates and his disciples did not disbelieve in Asclepius, the god of medicine (or any other god).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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One of Blake’s disciples was a young Welsh writer who arrived in London in the 1880s and took a job trawling through a garret full of old occult books, writing descriptions for a publisher’s catalogue.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acolyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acolyte. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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