1
as in factions
a group of people acting together within a larger group
a whole bloc of students got together to complain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in coalitions
an association of persons, parties, or states for mutual assistance and protection
the bloc that the United States and most of western Europe formed during the Cold War
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 blocs
Political scientists like Hansen had spent careers building theories that assumed that the parameters of Americans politics were set by interest groups, voting blocs, open elections, economic calculations, power sharing, and sundry other features of liberal ideology.
—
Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
For the time being, the Coordination Framework, the alliance behind al-Sudani’s initial ascendance, seems poised to retain unity among Shia blocs.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
This is quickly turning into a season not about alliances but about voting blocs, and each of those blocs is always targeting each other, with at least one skilled player in the middle, taking turns eliminating each bloc’s power bit by bit.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
But the 2025 elections showed that a considerable number of voters, including historically blue voting blocs that trended red in 2024, are not guaranteed to stay in the GOP’s corner.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 22 Nov. 2025
Polls found that Mamdani lost nearly two-thirds of Jewish voters to Cuomo, who had high support in Orthodox voting blocs.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Even the most optimistic Democrats don’t contend that Tuesday’s results prove the party has solved its problems with those voting blocs.
—Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
His party, La Libertad Avanza, holds just 37 of 254 seats in the lower chamber, relying on tenuous alliances with conservative blocs.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
France is in the midst of its worst political crisis in decades as a succession of minority governments seek to push deficit-reducing budgets through a truculent legislature split into three distinct ideological blocs.
—Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
For the time being, the Coordination Framework, the alliance behind al-Sudani’s initial ascendance, seems poised to retain unity among Shia blocs.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
This is quickly turning into a season not about alliances but about voting blocs, and each of those blocs is always targeting each other, with at least one skilled player in the middle, taking turns eliminating each bloc’s power bit by bit.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
But the 2025 elections showed that a considerable number of voters, including historically blue voting blocs that trended red in 2024, are not guaranteed to stay in the GOP’s corner.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 22 Nov. 2025
Polls found that Mamdani lost nearly two-thirds of Jewish voters to Cuomo, who had high support in Orthodox voting blocs.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Even the most optimistic Democrats don’t contend that Tuesday’s results prove the party has solved its problems with those voting blocs.
—Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
His party, La Libertad Avanza, holds just 37 of 254 seats in the lower chamber, relying on tenuous alliances with conservative blocs.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
France is in the midst of its worst political crisis in decades as a succession of minority governments seek to push deficit-reducing budgets through a truculent legislature split into three distinct ideological blocs.
—Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blocs
Noun
-
So when the first children in the commune were born, factions emerged around which language the next generation should speak.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Members of the caucus emerged from a two-hour meeting on Thursday declaring that the 47-member group is coalescing around a unified strategy rather than splintering into factions, which could mean the government funding fight lasts well beyond the current 37 days.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Restorative coalitions also have an impact on services that require trauma recognition, report and intervention.—
Connye Griffin,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Policies enacted without durable organization, broad working-class coalitions, and a political economy that strengthens working-class power will not survive.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Say, for example, that a restaurant’s menu states that an automatic 18% charge will be added to all bills for parties of six or more customers.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
While no blame was assigned, the hearings were open to the public and often gave interested parties, including family members of the person killed, their first opportunity for answers.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
On the other hand, mayors and city leaders formed powerful alliances to sell voters on investing hundreds of millions of dollars into the National Western Complex, and voters typically responded with generosity.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Players making off-island alliances with other potential returnees before leaving for Fiji is strictly forbidden.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Davie has faced a number of major scandals since being named director general in 2020, including the resignation of the BBC’s top new anchor Huw Edwards and accusations of bias from both sides over its coverage of the war in Gaza.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In breaking with the contentious dealings between the league and the NFL Players Association, Tagliabue and Upshaw kept negotiations respectful and centered on what would benefit both sides.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
All three unions have expressed concern that ZIM would exchange hands to a foreign entity.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
-
State workers and their unions have vowed to keep up the fight this year.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The letter calls for the United Nations, international sports federations, and world governments to intervene to prevent Vafaei Sani's sentence.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Brazilians were drawn from grassroots collectives, Indigenous federations, academia, and social enterprises, and traveled from diverse regions and key ecological zones in Brazil, such as the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Putnam asserted that the long-term decline in social connection and civic engagement—symbolized in his book by the fact that the number of people participating in bowling leagues has fallen off a cliff—is the core issue facing America.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Disney in particular, given its family-friendly brand, resisted entering the betting space for years, though the tide has turned for leagues and their media partners.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blocs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blocs. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share