anarchist

Definition of anarchistnext
as in revolutionary
a person who believes that government and laws are not necessary The anarchists decided to move to a remote location that was, for all intents and purposes, lawless.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anarchist Trump has long invoked the term against a range of political opponents, including peaceful protesters without anarchist-leanings. ABC News, 16 June 2026 In July 1936, at the beginning of Spain’s civil war, anti-clericalist anarchist groups stormed the basilica and set fire to the crypt and Gaudí’s workshop, destroying many of his plans. Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 10 June 2026 But divining Gaudí's intentions has required detective work, because during the Spanish Civil War, anarchists protesting the Catholic Church set fire to parts of the structure, and smashed Gaudí's models into 8,000 pieces. Seth Doane, CBS News, 7 June 2026 At the same time, Pratchett was not an anarchist—Vimes is a policeman, which is depicted as a heroic profession—or an identitarian. Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for anarchist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anarchist
Noun
  • Centrist Democrats are not socialists, not revolutionaries, and not disposed to blame Zionist conspiracies for every trouble in American life, including police brutality and urban gentrification.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
  • To make matters worse, ten days later, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The deal came as Washington increased pressure on neighboring Rwanda over its support for M23 rebels, a dynamic analysts say may help explain Congo’s willingness to cooperate.
    Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The fun way to approach this premise would be to focus on the rebels.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Israel, meanwhile, has remained suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, led by former Islamist insurgents.
    Andrew Wilks, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The win marks the latest example of an insurgent Democrat pulling off a victory in the primary over a more moderate opponent with a significant cash advantage.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Since those early beginnings, the invention’s larger structure has evolved to assume narrative shapes, such as the regular geography of Christopher Robin’s Hundred Acre Wood (where the anarch is the merrily spontaneous Winnie-the-Pooh).
    Angus Fletcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2021
Noun
  • Spinks has spent years investigating and documenting nihilistic violent extremists and reported Spitze’s concerning online footprint to law enforcement.
    Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • With a real-world legal event like the SPLC indictment, extremists can point to government action as evidence that their worldview is being validated.
    Art Jipson, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Anarchist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anarchist. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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