as in critics
a person who criticizes something or someone
Despite his popularity, his many detractors still think his work is overrated. Even her detractors had to admit that she had made the company successful.
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Recent Examples of detractors
The Gauls had been described as barbarians by Julius Caesar and Livy, but now had become these Ur people, far more ancient and civilized than their ancient Roman detractors.
—
JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Now Uchis has arenas of fans around the world proving just how wrong those detractors were.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
And as the detractors predicted, the results were not pretty — at least, not in the moment.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
A number of scientists had measured the speed of sound waves, and Newton and his detractors were locked in a conflict over the wavelike nature of light.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
Despite all of these successes, however, inflation still has its detractors.
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Rothenberger noted that Boston City Hall, another brutalist-style building with its own share of detractors, will soon be designated a Boston landmark.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
But detractors worry that AI is disrupting the job market, undermining the human experience and harming the environment.
—Idaho Statesman, 13 Oct. 2025
Much like his comments on Israel, Mamdani’s past statements on the police have been obsessively picked apart by his detractors—a key difference is that managing the cops is an everyday part of the mayor’s job.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Now Uchis has arenas of fans around the world proving just how wrong those detractors were.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
And as the detractors predicted, the results were not pretty — at least, not in the moment.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
A number of scientists had measured the speed of sound waves, and Newton and his detractors were locked in a conflict over the wavelike nature of light.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
Despite all of these successes, however, inflation still has its detractors.
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Rothenberger noted that Boston City Hall, another brutalist-style building with its own share of detractors, will soon be designated a Boston landmark.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
But detractors worry that AI is disrupting the job market, undermining the human experience and harming the environment.
—Idaho Statesman, 13 Oct. 2025
Much like his comments on Israel, Mamdani’s past statements on the police have been obsessively picked apart by his detractors—a key difference is that managing the cops is an everyday part of the mayor’s job.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detractors
critics
Noun
-
For much of D’Angelo’s career, critics seemed to most appreciate his brilliance by way of comparison.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
18 Oct. 2025
-
In Kenya, President William Ruto, facing increasing pressure to resign, dared his critics to oust him from office before the next elections in 2027.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detractors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detractors. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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