as in followers
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
the Flat Earth Society surely doesn't have many adherents
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Recent Examples of adherents
Leftism thus constitutes an ongoing search for new causes to fight on behalf of, in a way that mobilizes adherents and creates solidarity among them.
—
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Both romantic trends have adherents who spin their retreat from status quo romance as a kind of liberation from modern expectations, and who position their marital arrangement as the logical extension of a deeper political project.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2026
Díaz-Canel’s words masked what was, for adherents of a revolution celebrated by the global left, a painful reality.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Successful outreach requires making effort to understand how religious adherents think, acknowledging their concerns, and humbly recognizing that medical knowledge is shaped by more than mere empiricism.
—Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
For decades, skiing in the backcountry – far from chairlifts, parking lots and the apres-ski bar scene – was the domain of only the most dedicated, or the most anti-corporate, adherents of the sport.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Around 3 in 10 Americans are adherents of or sympathetic to Christian nationalism, the belief that America is or should be a Christian nation, according to data published in February by the Public Religion Research Institute.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Each of these religious traditions urges its adherents to reflect on where they are headed, to return to God, to each other, to their best selves.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Both romantic trends have adherents who spin their retreat from status quo romance as a kind of liberation from modern expectations, and who position their marital arrangement as the logical extension of a deeper political project.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2026
Díaz-Canel’s words masked what was, for adherents of a revolution celebrated by the global left, a painful reality.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Successful outreach requires making effort to understand how religious adherents think, acknowledging their concerns, and humbly recognizing that medical knowledge is shaped by more than mere empiricism.
—Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
For decades, skiing in the backcountry – far from chairlifts, parking lots and the apres-ski bar scene – was the domain of only the most dedicated, or the most anti-corporate, adherents of the sport.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Around 3 in 10 Americans are adherents of or sympathetic to Christian nationalism, the belief that America is or should be a Christian nation, according to data published in February by the Public Religion Research Institute.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Each of these religious traditions urges its adherents to reflect on where they are headed, to return to God, to each other, to their best selves.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adherents
Noun
-
That makes sense, given she's used to broadcasting snippets of her life to her more than 7 million TikTok followers and nearly 4 million on Instagram.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Lifestyle influencer and DadToker Mortensen has become a social media influencer, with about 830,000 followers on TikTok and 290,000 followers on Instagram.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples, marking the institution of Holy Communion and the washing of feet, symbolizing humility and service, according to the Presbyterian Church.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Last Supper with his disciples.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Disrupting basic services to millions of Americans in such circumstances only makes sense to die-hard partisans.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
That was the result of angry partisans taking seriously Trump’s bogus election-fraud claims.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adherents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adherents. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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