as in excessiveness
belief in and support for ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable
political extremism
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Recent Examples of extremism
Arkansas students don't need right-wing extremism taught in their classrooms.
—
Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
Authorities said Hasan was motivated by Islamic extremism and opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
But by far, right-wing extremism drove the most antisemitic crimes, a total of 3,016.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
His opponent James Fishback — a relative political unknown who has used racist and white nationalist rhetoric throughout his campaign — is highlighting the generational divide around extremism on the right in Florida.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extremism
Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
Authorities said Hasan was motivated by Islamic extremism and opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
But by far, right-wing extremism drove the most antisemitic crimes, a total of 3,016.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
His opponent James Fishback — a relative political unknown who has used racist and white nationalist rhetoric throughout his campaign — is highlighting the generational divide around extremism on the right in Florida.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extremism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremism
Noun
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Set in a secluded Catalonian villa, the irksomely stylish story centers on a rich family living in insulated excess until an outsider disrupts their precarious peace.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
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That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But that distinction would have made little sense to seventeenth-century women, whose religious radicalism led them to make vehement political critiques of their own society.—
Chandler Fritz,
The New York Review of Books,
21 Mar. 2026
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The challenge of Islamic terrorism in America is that, just like the homegrown terrorism of white supremacists, the radicalism is often diffuse.—
Juliette Kayyem,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But this often requires accepting the fundamental irrationality of the wrapping-up process.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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The irrationality of politicians suddenly makes sense.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremism. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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